Triangle
by LordSameth
Summary: Ambushed by a band of mutants, Leo trades himself over as a prisoner in order to save Donnie. The team struggles without Leo, and Raph's leadership begins to crumble as Donnie's injuries grow worse. With one option left to save Donnie's life, will Leo betray the team in order to save Donnie, or can he find the strength to let him go?
1. Chapter 1

_AN: If you are reading this than I have already achieved my goal. Someone looked. Welcome to my very first TMNT fanfic, and my very first one to be posted outside of a fan-forum!_

_This is a very nerve-racking experience for me for two reasons, first because I have never opened up and posted my literature under my personal internet username before, always a pen-name and always with shame. Second is because I am rather new to the TMNT fandom. Thank you 2012 series for making me curious. I have a lot to learn, and fanfic research has been incredibly educational for this fandom._

_Anyway, about "Triangle", my first TMNT Fanfic. It'll take place in the 2012 universe, as it is the one I am most familiar with at this time. This is going to be a big one, bigger than anything I've ever written before. Looking at my massive story summary scares me, and I'm only looking at the one I wrote for the first part of the story, which is what you're about to start reading now. It's a slow go for me, I am spending a lot of time doing research, thinking, editing and expanding. All of which I can be working on if I stop writing this AN that is longer than my first chapter. Ouch._

* * *

**Triangle: Part 1- Leadership**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

They were alone, Leonardo knew, but an uneasy feeling that crossed him caused him to take pause. His brothers halted cautiously, trying to sense what had suddenly put their leader on edge. Leo's eyes scanned the shadows and rooftops, spotting nothing out of the ordinary, but yet the uneasy feeling remained. Raph let loose an impatient sigh. Their rooftop run had been meant for training, and in a sense it still was; If you'd count a full-out search for their youngest as a training session. Michelangelo had felt restless, and offhandedly mentioned that instead of specialized combat training he'd rather be home playing games. That was when Raphael suggested "Hide-and-kick-Mikey's-shell". He was being sarcastic, but Mikey had jumped at the idea and vanished into the night without another word. They had been searching for him for hours now, but the youngest had mastery of this game. Leo sighed heavily in thought, they were running out of time, it would be sunrise soon. Their pride was at stake. With renewed determination to win he turned back to his brothers, " Split up."

Feeling brave, Leo took to the alleyways, searching bins, boxes, trash, and cars. Seeing movement inside towards the back of an open and abandoned vehicle, Leo reached inside, only to be rewarded with a sharp pain; a scratched up hand for disturbing a mother cat with newborn kittens. Giving up on the streets, he utilized a fire escape to get to another rooftop. A shadow flashed into his view, but quickly vanished. Leo blinked. Was that someone, or was he seeing things? The sound of footfall caused him to start and take up a defensive stance,

" Any luck?" Donatello jogged up beside him, panting.

Leo relaxed and lifted his clawed up hand, " Only the bad kind."

Donnie sighed, his breathing returning normal, and shook his head, " We'd best go meet up with Raph, perhaps he's had better luck."

They met up at the rendezvous rooftop just before sunrise and, to all of their irritation, Mikey had managed to elude them. Donnie sat, silent in deep thought, while Raph paced in frustration. Absently Leo ran his hand over his head, scratching at the back of his mask, " So I guess if Mikey doesn't come home with us, I get to eat all of his pizza." he recited.

"Wha? Jus waitaminnit! I looked harder, I get Mikey's pizza" Raph pushed his brother aside, " Just because you're leader doesn't mean you can jus-"

"Shhh" Leo cut him off, " What are you doing? I am trying to-" Leo waved it off in frustration, " Whatever, so, that didn't work." He muttered in thought. " Perhaps he went home already?"

Donnie stepped up beside Leo and glanced down the side of the building, " I think we should be getting back, Mikey will be fine, the chances of him being found out here by a human when we couldn't even find him are slim. In fact, when we get home I can use my computer to-"

" Alright, lets move" Raph interrupted his brother's rambling and set out ahead, Leo close behind. Donnie flashed them an unseen indignant look before following at the rear.

Upon arriving home and finding no trace of Mikey, Donnie immediately holed up in his room, deep in thought. Raph sprawled on the bench in front of the tv, his eyes shifting to Leo, " What's his problem?"

Leo shrugged, " You know how he gets when he can't solve something." The leader paced in thought, concern beginning to etch it's way onto his face "I'm going to go talk to Sensei, maybe he has an idea." The leader retreated behind a curtain to the back, leaving Raph alone.

" Pah" Raph muttered, absently reaching for a slice of pizza from the box on the arm of the sofa. When his fingers felt nothing but empty box, Raph shot up straight. That was a full box before they left. His eyes scanned the room another time, to be sure. He gripped the box in a rage hardened fist, " Mikey!" He bellowed in frustration, holding the box above his head like a weapon.

Donnie looked up from the little project he had started in the center of his space. He was partway through attaching a small device to a leather wristband when the sound of Raph's angry voice echoed throughout the lair. " Impossible, Mikey isn't in the sitting room." Donnie muttered in thought. He took the time to glance at his computer another time before standing up to see what the commotion was about. Upon exiting his room he promptly dodged a violently thrown pizza box, " Hey!"

" When I find him I'm gonna-"

" Mikey? He's in his room Raph." Donnie pointed with a thumb at the doorway to the youngest's personal area. " If you'd listened earlier I was saying I have a- Hey!"

Raph pushed past his brother and entered Mikey's room, and just as quickly had his younger brother dragged out and laying helpless on the floor withstanding an emotional assault of fists. " We looked for hours and you were in here the whole time?!" Raph growled threats and he continued to assault his brother, helpless on the floor.

" Stop, stop, I don't wanna play this game anymore" Mikey whined between blows " I had to hide down here because if I hid up top it would become day and we can't be up there in the day! Duh!"

Coming out from the back room at the sound of ruckus, Leo took a second to witness the struggle from the doorway. " Good work Raph!"

Donnie raised his hand slightly, " Actually I used my-"

The leader brushed past his awkward brother and lifted Mikey up to his feet before smacking him across the skull, " Don't run off." He growled before plunking down on the bench with a grunt. " Wasn't there Pizza?" He asked, looking up to his brothers with a raised eyebrow. Mikey cracked a nervous smile, which was promptly beaten from his face by Raph. Leo sighed loudly " Seriously Mikey? Seriously?" His palm met his face with a smack. " Arrg. Donnie would you go grab us- Donnie?" The three of them left in the room looked around, suddenly aware that one of them had slipped off.

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**End Chapter 1**

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_AN: dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun. And the big plot starts in our next chapter._


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: I'd like to thank the people who have taken the time to review my story in its early stages. It's been an exciting and educating adventure, and as I type this it is nearly 5 am, and I need to work tomorrow. But but but...I wanted to post chapter 2, which is painfully short. One quirk that caught my eye during my final editing is that this chapter is almost all about Donnie...and he's the only one who didn't get any dialogue!*dies*_

_First chapter received some edits in spelling, and some minor changes in dialogue and sentence order. Nothing noticeable._

* * *

**Triangle Part 1 - Leadership**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Daylight filtered into Donnie's hideout through the steel grate above. The room was small, but large enough for a low table where he could work in peace. It was not far from the lair, and it didn't even take ninja skills to slip out. He was practically invisible anyway. Shaking off his distraction of thoughts he returned his focus to the mechanical wristband he was working on. It wasn't a difficult project, he was nearly done already. A thoughtful sigh managed to escape him, despite his efforts to silence his mind. Any time he mentioned his latest project, his brother shrugged him off. Maybe it wasn't cool enough? More features, yes, something to make it more engaging. Tongue sticking out, he began tweaking the device some more. He'd have to finish the rest of the programming on his computer, however, and he hoped it would be finished before too late, they had training again tomorrow and he'd need to get some rest. Just a few more tweaks...

It was dark when Donnie's eyes cracked open. How long had he been sleeping? He stood up and stretched his stiff muscles. His left shoulder made a sharp pop as he rolled it and he winced as his body made several more awkward sounds resulting from sleeping across his work table. His device was laying complete, tools scattered about in no particular pattern, as well as several scrap papers with scrawled notes and numbers all over. Donnie gathered everything up in precise order into the small leather bag he had along, examining his device carefully before dropping it on the top. His heart fluttered with nervousness, wondering how late he was and if the others had wait up for him.

A forgotten paper lay on the floor and Donnie picked it up, causally examining the writing on it. Oh, a miscalculation. There's time. It would only be a few more calculations, another minute. He flipped open his bag and put the folded page deep inside. Now what was he doing- Donnie suddenly felt the creep of stress welling up from within. Oh crap.

Upon returning to the lair, it became quite clear to Donnie that his absence wasn't the biggest priority at the moment. In fact, nobody had noticed his awkward, apologetic gait down the steps, or when he deposited his bag into his room. In fact, nobody was there. Frustrated at his tardiness, he dashed up the steps and out of the lair, hoping to catch up with his brothers and dreading the lecture he'd be receiving from Leo.

* * *

The turtles waited not far from their regular training place. Leo was confident that Donnie was right behind them, no matter where he'd run off to, being late was not something he was good at. As soon as he caught sight of Donnie catching up he stood tall, waiting for the last one to join them.

Leo had many words in reserve for his brother, but it was Mikey who had the first words for Donnie when he arrived, " Woah dude, you're almost as good at hiding as I am." His voice lowered, " Careful around Raph." With his wisdom shared, Mikey stepped aside with a grin to allow Leo room to speak.

When Donnie approached him, head slightly lowered in submission, the eldest leaned in close to his brother, " Don't run off." he lectured, before giving his brother a light nudge on the shoulder. Leo didn't miss the redness forming on his brother's face, receiving the very same words Mikey had not minutes before he ran off on his own. The leader cracked a smug grin, the point of his words brought clearly across; If he's going to behave like Mikey, he'll be treated like him. " Let's move out!"

There was no time for further lecture, and Leo started out down the alley, intending on sparring near a construction site. The building's skeleton made combat training more interesting, and since the area was different every time they visited, it kept them on their toes. The downside was the distance, it took some time to get there, and Donnie had wasted a good pocket of it. There wasn't any sound as the made their way through the alleyways, occasionally along fire escapes. Finally near their destination Leo took lead up the fire escape to a tall building located next to the construction site.

Leo paused upon reaching the rooftops, a prickly feeling made its way throughout his shell. Someone was watching, no... waiting. He pulled himself up slowly and glanced around, careful eyes taking in everything. Plans began forming, how to fight in this area, distractions he could use, escape routes. This time he was certain, there was someone there, biding their time. For what? Attack? The others joined him on the rooftop and immediately mirrored their leader's cautious behavior.

Although Leo hadn't yet drawn his blades, Raph drew his sai with an almost theatrical twirl, his voice carried loud and clear to all of them as his eyes caught movement in the shadows" Careful, there's more than one!"

A figure from above caused Leo to jump back, finally drawing his blades. A wooden spear buried itself into the building where he had stood an instant before, sending splinters flying in all directions. Four pairs of eyes shot to the sky, where a shadow of a creature hovered above them. Leo tried to focus; There were multiple attackers, an ambush, but who, or what? A high-pitched screech caused the group to flinch, covering their ears in surprise and pain. In response to the signal the dozens of other attackers revealed themselves from the shadows. Leo's skin went cold, " No way."

All of them were mutants.

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**End chapter 2**

* * *

_AN: A mutant ambush? I wonder what they could want that takes an organized attack in the middle of the night to get..._

_Also, any predictions on what Donnie has made? I hope it's a giant magnet that is only attracted to Mikey's brain. That would be awesome._


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: I'm getting into this, but don't keep expecting daily updates, one of these days I'll burn out and slow down. In this chapter I introduce two OCs, Lionking and Bey. I hate them both._

_An apology for Mikey fans. I promise you'll see more action from him in future chapters._

_An apology for Donnie fans for the cliffhangers I like to have revolve around him._

_An apology for Leo fans because it's not his turn for complete awesomeness yet, gotta get worse before it gets better._

_And no apology for Raph fans. Suck it the hell up and wipe the snot off your face._

* * *

**Triangle Part 1- Leadership**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Even Raph couldn't hide his amazement at the rabble of mutants that had just presented themselves. There were perhaps three dozen assorted weirdos in the group, each freakier than the last. Raph mentally chose which ones he'd be taking down first. They didn't seem too tough, some of them even looked afraid. The one that continued to grasp at Raph's attention though with its tough exterior was the lion. He was massive, shirtless with long, thick red hair growing from his neck and chest. He seemed to have human hands, each with a razor claw on the end of each finger, but that isn't what caught Raph's eye. The massive battle hammer it was wielding poised, ready to strike. If it came down to confrontation, Raph would be sure the lion fell. Hard.

His attention returned to the floating figure in the sky, finally lowering itself down to their level. Raph's eyes narrowed. " What kind of joke is this!?" He suddenly blurted out. The figure ahead of them rested on the ground daintily before folding his wings in a comfortable manner. A bat! Massive leathery ears stood out from his head, his face almost consumed by what looked like a pig's snout. The mutant's arms grew a set of dark skin colored wings. His bottom half was covered with yellow and red cloth pants, leaving a gap for his flat tail. His entire body was finely chiseled with muscles, likely developed through flying. He wore a cloth blindfold in the similar yellow and red as his pants. Thin, dark fur laced with grey covered his body. Despite his fitness, he definitely appeared incredibly old.

Working like satellites the bat's ears twitched and focused to Raph's voice, " I assure you, what I have come here to say is not a joke, turtle. We have traveled a long way." The old bat stood up straighter, facing the group, " I am called Bey. I have come in order to extend an invitation to join our clan."

Leo took a step forward, " In these parts, invitations aren't accompanied by threats with weapons."

Bey's ears twitched again in their funny little way, " Ah yes. Mmm. Well you see, we can't much afford for you to decline our invitation. You will come with us." His high-pitched voice deepened with threat.

" We'll pass." Leo's voice was hard, and carried a similar edge to it.

Bey shook his head and spread his wings apart, " So be it." he whispered, drawing a deep breath

* * *

The second screech signalling battle brought Mikey out of his daydream. He didn't much care for the leader's rambling, and had tried to assign names to all of the mutants around. He had come across a fox with an extra tail, and couldn't thing of anything rather suiting for such a poor deformed beast. Then the fox was running at him, foam flying from its mouth, it's tails flapping about as though it thought it could take flight or something. A swift kick to the face subdued it and Mikey joined the battle with a gleeful whoop. Nunchuku whirling, he was a blur between foes.

Leo's twin blades alternated defensively as Bey's spear searched for an opening. His minions seemed to have an endless supply of the small wooden spears, and for each one Leo broke, another arrived to continue the assault He pressed his backwards movement slowly, trying to find his own opening. His feet were coming up to the edge of the building, Leo knew, and he didn't have any more time to wait for that opening. He'd have to make one. Crossing his blades, he pushed forward in a rush, surprising his attacker. Leo hopped to the side, and in a low run circled his foe, blades held out to the side ready to strike.

A large ear twitched in his direction and Bey took the sky in retreat, " No you don't!" Leo yelled crouching deep before launching himself into a jump after the old bat. With a flip, he brought both his blades down at Bey at the same time, but he vanished a second before they could hit him. Leo's eyes widened as he righted himself, confused for only a moment before sharp claws embedded themselves into the turtle's arm as Bey grabbed a hold of him with his clawed feet.

It became obvious very quickly that Bey wasn't strong enough to fly with a large mutant turtle in his claws and they were losing altitude fast. Leo was perplexed as to why he wasn't being released. Surely this old bat knew that it was wasted effort, wasted energy. It was at the sound of chuckling from his captor above that caused Leo to properly look down. They had drifted above the construction site, and it was a long fall back to the earth. There was a sharp pain in his arm as Leo was released into a sickening free-fall over the construction site, down towards the steel beams.

* * *

Donnie and Raph stood back to back, surrounded. They had taken out the majority of the weaker ones immediately, however there were a few who actually seemed to posses proper combat training. With a dexterous spin of his staff Donnie threw another attacker off of them with a strike to the face, at the same time a wounded scream from behind indicated success on Raph's part. It was slow going, but it looked like they were winning. Donnie's focus shifted to the giant lion who seemed to sit off to the side waiting. The creature made eye contact, and rose to his feet, so slowly, lazy. " Umm, Raph?"

The slight panic invading his brother's voice caused Raph to turn his head slightly, seeing the lion finally up and move. " Heh." Raph grinned, breaking away from his brother, trusting him to watch his shell while he combated the big guy. The lion seemed to take a slow second to even realize Raph was attacking. He brought his hammer back, and with unexpected speed he snapped it forward, the blow sending Raph tumbling several feet.

Using the momentum, Raph flipped himself onto his toes with a smirk, skidding several more feet. A tiny stream of blood began flowing down his left cheek, a bruise beginning to form on the side of his face. " Is that the best you've got!" he bellowed, launching himself back at the lion. The lion began lifting his hammer again, this time upwards. It was too predictable, Raph grinned as his eye narrowed. This was too easy, no sweat. He ran lower, preparing momentum for a strike, already beginning to ease the tension with a heavy battle shout.

The lion vanished. Raph skid to a halt, " The hell?" His eyes roamed the rooftop. It didn't slip off into the shadows, he was sure. It just friggin' disappeared In fact, everyone was gone. The rooftop was the same one, Raph was sure, but everyone, including his brothers were just gone. The streetlight behind him went dim and shot a glace behind him with grit teeth. A creaking sound pulled his attention in front of him yet again. In the space of a second it took for him to shift focus behind him, it was suddenly there, hammer already on its heavy course downward. All Raph had time for was to cover his head with a shout.

* * *

Mikey had just finished escorting a some of their new friends off of the roof when he turned to the sound of Raph's abruptly cut off battle cry behind him. What Mikey saw was confusing, Raph was just standing there, looking lost as Lionking ambled up to him and wound up for a strike. There was no time to waste, Mikey bound in from behind Raph and with a flip launched himself over the lion, dropping the chain of his kusarigama over the hammer in a loop. Using the chain, he swung himself around with a cry, hoping to alter the course of the falling hammer, even a little.

The whole building shook with the impact as the hammer shot down, dragging Mikey by the chain hard into the building's roof. Stunned, the young turtle lay on his side with a groan. His eyes blinked open slightly when his name was called and he was flipped onto his back. Raph looked down at him, and in a rare fit of concern asked " Are ya hurt?"

" Naw, I'm cool." Mikey propped himself upright and movement behind Raph caught his eye.

" Get down!"

* * *

Leo lay on the top beam, stunned. The fall would have been enough to maim him if he had been much further to the left or right, but he had managed to keep his feet beneath him and braved a landing on the steel beams. He rolled to absorb most of the shock, but flopped midway as a tingling pain laced its way from his hips and up his spine. The pain was fading now, and he didn't feel damaged at least. His eyes darted to the sky. There seemed to be no sign of Bey, although the bat's colors would blend in perfectly in the night.

The sound of his brothers shouting drew Leo's attention to the side of the building where combat was still raging on. Getting back onto his feet Leo spanned the gap between buildings with a grunt and quickly began climbing. Whatever was going on up top was not in their favor; he needed to get back into the fray.

* * *

In the instant it would take for the hammer to reach Raph, Mikey knew he only had one option to prevent what his brother couldn't see coming. One hand pushed on the back of Raphs head, the other his shoulder, to the ground, " Get down!" He yelled. It wouldn't be enough to spare him the blow, but maybe it would be enough to stop Raph from getting injured.

There was a heavy impact and suddenly the world was moving sideways. Mikey didn't get the chance to brace himself for the crash he knew was coming; he didn't even get to cry out. His vision went white as his head struck steel. Pain, like his mind had been shattered, moved along his skull in fault lines, and he couldn't draw breath. Nausea overtook him and he began to heave and spasm. He thought he could hear someone calling his name, Donnie? But he was so far away, as if he were underwater. He tried to call back, but he couldn't get the breath, the air. Drowning. He was drowning! He panicked and began to fight against all the water he felt around him, struggled to get air, to swim to the surface. Was there a surface? Where was he? Finally the darkness clawed him down, leaving him with the falling, tumbling sensation briefly before even that vanished.

Donnie was the first to Mikey. After being struck by the Lion's hammer, the youngest was shot to the next building over, where he collided with the base of a steel billboard. Upon arriving, Donnie had to turn away as his stomach lurched. Mikey was still and silent, blood seemed to flow all over his face, from a wound on his temple, from his mouth, his ears. The sound of a wet cough caused Donnie to start, " Mikey? Mikey!" A feeling of dread filled him as shadow fell over him.

Bey stood behind Donnie, watching with interest. " You all put up a mighty fight." He cooed. He moved himself to the side, effortlessly dodging a sweep from Donnie's staff. " Three of you are down." He mused, " We could heal them, you know. We have medics."

Donnie's eyes narrowed. Was he trying to negotiate with him? A peaceful surrender in return for their lives?" You're lying." he stated, hoping to buy more time

"Am I?"

Donnie's fears began to claw through his logic. He hadn't seen Leo since early in the battle, and Raph had been struck by the same blow as Mikey, but he had only rolled a few feet away, left stunned. The lion was still there, as were there several mutant soldiers that Donnie had been fending off. That he had let go as he tried to get to Mikey. If he wasn't already captured, Raph would be too busy fending off the attackers on his own. Donnie inwardly cursed himself for his stupidity.

Making up his mind, Donnie spun his staff and took on a combat stance, " Until I see it with my own eyes, I refuse to believe a word you say." With a final flourish, Donnie danced forward, grimly resolved to engage the bat to the death should the battle come to it. His brother's life was at stake. There were no other options.

* * *

**End chapter 3**

* * *

_AN: Donnie and Raph's first epic chapter is up next. Leo is epic too...an epic FAILURE._

_For my reviewers, which turtle do you want to see more perspective from? Don't say Mikey, his POV is pretty lame over the next little while and I'd end up with some pretty short chapters. Donnie sure gets a lot of attention, you'd think he was my favorite or something. Spoiler: Leo is my favorite. Until next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: I hope you're as excited about this chapter as I am. I don't know about you, but I am not the biggest fan of OCs so I am eager to shove them over to the far side of the plot and get back into the " Oh my god, Donnie made something" drama._

_Did anyone notice the new cover? I totally photoshopped a screen cap from episode 9...it's actually from inside the control room, when he's complaining about having to be paired up with Mikey. I bet you'd never guess, ehehehehe._

_Another big thank you to my reviewers, I look forward to your words every time I update, and read each one as it arrives by email to my phone almost the moment it gets sent to me. I may not always reply, but I am deeply thankful for your input._

_I also want to thank those of you who are simply watching for an update. You give me a solid reason to keep this up._

_Well, enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

**Triangle Part 1- Leadership**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

"Raph!" Leo couldn't restrain the cry that forced its way out as he flipped onto the rooftop. His brother was laying pinned on his stomach, held down by several of the mutants. There were two pinning him by each arm, his legs were already bound, still kicking as the mutants tried to hold him down. His cheek was pressed down to the ground, his head held down by the large foot of a rabbit, the mutant's sword's tip a scant inch away from his throat. The lion stood above him, hammer strapped to his back, waiting until the other fighters could finish restraining the fighting turtle. Swears and threats flew heavy from both sides as Raph fought fiercely to escape on his own.

With a yell Leo drew his blades and rushed the group, striking armor as he crashed through. With a sweep of Leo's blades Raph's right arm was freed, and that was all that was needed for him to wrestle his other arm free. The rabbit thrust the blade down, embedding it into the rooftop with a cry. Raph was faster, rolling to his back to dodge and then flipping his still bound legs upwards, kicking the rabbit in the chest and off the edge of the building with a cry. He returned to being on his back, using the little momentum he had left to roll forward into a crouch. " Leo!"

The leader swung his sword from over his shoulder as Raph rolled back and launched himself into a handstand. Leo's blade severed the ropes as his brother's feet swung upwards. Legs now free, Raph twirled himself upright, feet apart, finally drawing his sai, eagerly spinning them over his thumbs before settling in a combative crouch.

A low growl caused all of their attackers to suddenly retreat to the shadows. Leo's eyes shot towards the lion, who had been off to the side and had thus far made no move to attack. The massive creature took one heavy step towards the pair, pulling his hammer from behind. His dark eyes staring Leo down, mouth curled in a challenging smile. It again took a painfully slow, heavy step towards them. Raph flipped his sai once more, blades to his forearms, taking an uncharacteristically defensive stance with a growl. Leo positioned his blades, getting ready for a low, sweeping attack on this slow-moving tank. " Leo!" He heard his name called but he was already off in a rush toward's their enemy , " Leo, wait, he can-"

Just as Raph's voice cut off, the lion vanished. Leo skid to a halt, blades defensive. He began to circle, his eye scanning the rooftop, head whipping around as he tried to keep alert on all fronts. Raph was also gone. His eyes returned to where the lion had been. Had he slipped off, or simply vanished? Or maybe it was all an illusion. Leo grit his teeth. If that was the case, then the lion would be right in front of him. With a yell Leo struck out at the nothing ahead of him, right before a heavy force hit him from behind.

* * *

Donnie windmilled his staff in two hands in front of him, fending off the repeated assaults from Bey's spear. Despite the crudeness of his opponent's weapon, Donnie was having a tough time holding his own against the old bat. To add insult to injury, the bat continued to let out a high-pitched chuckle, mocking him. Striking out heavily to throw his attacker off, Donnie retreated back a few steps, panting. Bey's chuckle drew near as he took advantage of the opening with a stab. Sidestepping, Donnie spun to gather momentum and brought his staff down diagonally over the crude wooden spear, shattering it. Using his downward momentum against his weapon he flipped a kick into the bat's face, effectively silencing the damned chuckle. Bey slid across the rooftop before flipping himself upright by catching the air with his wings. The bat stood at the edge of the building, panting. Donnie didn't give him the chance to recover, and coming in fast he raised his staff above his head for the finishing strike. With a growl Bey stepped back, plummeting into the alley below as Donnie's staff struck where he had been a moment before.

Not wanting to waste more time, Donnie returned to Mikey's side. His breathing was more stable, and some of the bleeding had stopped, but his head wound was still open and he was losing a lot of blood. A light rain was beginning to fall, the water mixing with the blood in a flowing pool. Standing at Mikey's feet, Donnie grabbed his brother's wrists and pulled him up, twisting himself so he could carry him over his back. Mikey's head flopped down over Donnie's shoulder and he flinched at the feel of warm blood running along his neck and his front, contrasting the cool rain. Focusing, he took a running start and leapt to the next rooftop over, where he could hear sounds of combat.

* * *

Raph hadn't wanted to get his shell bashed in another time, but visions of Mikey being blasted off into next week fueled his desperate attempts to reach Leo, who was caught up in their foe's freaky hypnotism. His muscles coiled and released, launching him into Leo's shell, knocking them out of the lion's path just as the hammer came down. They both went tumbling behind the lion. Raph flipped himself onto his feet and went into an offensive stance while Leo recovered. As he was about to strike, a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Donnie stood at the edge of the building, Mikey hanging unconscious on his back like a grim cape.

Raph wasn't the only one who noticed, the lion took off running with a roar, abandoning his hammer with a crash. Low to the ground Raph followed in pursuit, He caught up easily and launched a flying kick at the back of the mutant's knees, crumbling him to the ground. Raph dodged to the side to avoid being hit by the flailing creature's limbs, before turning his head to a frozen in place Donnie. " What're you waiting for? Get outta here!"

"R-right!" Donnie wasted no more time, vanishing into the distance as he fled with their injured brother.

The lion pounded his fist into the rooftop with a growl of frustration, and Raph leapt between him and where his brother went, spinning his sai threateningly before taking a combative stance. The lion's fist came down at him and he rolled to the side to dodge, countering with a thrust of his left hand. Steel and bone collided as Raph's point struck the lion's ribs. He jumped aside to dodge the mutant's enraged fists, but wasn't able to get far enough, fast enough. He dropped his sai and braced himself for the impact. The fist struck him in the middle, and as he began falling back he gripped the lions thick wrist in both of his hands, using the momentum from the blow to pull the creature down with a flip. Winded from taking the blow, Raph sank to his knees trying to draw a breath as his right hand found one of his dropped weapons, his left over his middle where he could feel his broken ribs throb.

The mutant lion recovered faster than he did, and brought his fist up across his chest with the intent to strike. Raph crossed his arms in front of him, preparing to take the second blow but it never came. With a shout Leo slammed into the lion's chest, knocking it off-balance. Swords a whirl, Leo managed to push the lion back several paces before Raph regained his footing and gathered up his other sai. Reunited with his weapons, he gave them a quick flip and, arms out from his sides, rushed in with the intent to deliver the final blows as Leo held their opponent off.

Raph never got the satisfaction. The lion, weakened by the wound on his chest leapt back suddenly with a roar and fled to the next rooftop, and soon vanished into the rain. His fists tightened around his weapons before Raph resigned himself to returning them to his belt. " Let's go!"

With a leap Raph cleared the building to the next, following the very clear trail of blood being left by Mikey's wound. He paused as Leo called his name, landing on the rooftop beside him.

" Raph, that isn't the way back to the lair" Leo motioned in the other direction, " We're done out here, we can't afford to run right into another ambush, or did you forget there are others out here in wait!"

Raph couldn't keep the rage out of his voice, " If Donnie gets caught out there then he's done. Mikey too. We can't just run away every damn time."

" Donnie is resourceful, they'll be okay. Have faith in him Raph. We're in no condition to fight anymore, if anything we'd bring trouble to them." Leo turned, indicating his orders were final.

" Screw that!" With a dash and a flip Raph continued on his own course, leaving Leo behind as the rain began to fall in heavy drops.

* * *

Donnie had chosen a roundabout method to get back to the lair, wanting to be certain he wasn't being tailed. He wasn't too pleased that this turned out to be the right decision as he dodged another strike from one the numerous mutants chasing him. He could only run, he didn't have the energy to fight them all, and he was afraid to set Mikey down. It was beginning to get difficult to see in the rain that was beginning to turn into a downpour, and it was slowing both sides down. Panic was beginning to set in; Donnie was exhausted, and he knew it was a matter of time before he was dragged down as well. A rogue thought entered his mind, reminding him he'd have no problems getting away if he just left Mikey, leave one to be captured instead of both. He gripped his brother's arms tighter, shaking off the thought as it brought a wave of nausea, but also a stronger resolve to shake their pursuers.

Ultimately, it was a staff very much like his own that brought Donnie down. The strike to the back of his legs sent him rolling, Mikey bouncing off to the side and landing next to the door to a rooftop stairwell. Donnie swung himself back to his feet, twirling his staff in response. He wasn't given time to recover, and was promptly thrown into combat. His staff met his attacker's and he grunted, anticipating more than he had received. Blinking back raindrops he tried to get a good look at his attacker. She was smaller than himself, long, black hair hung down past her shoulders, and although damp it seemed to hold it's curls. Donnie might have found her attractive if the curly hair hadn't grown from most everywhere on her body. Her staff was wielded with a mutatious combination of hand and hoof. Donnie pushed her back, rotating himself for a more forceful strike. The little sheep girl met it with enthusiasm; too much it seemed because her staff snapped in two from the strike which sent her flying backward. She landed after a flip and spun each half as she rushed him with a bleating yell. Donnie spun again, launching her into a group preparing to rush him. There were too many more. He began preparing himself mentally for the assault that was about to happen. He'd be dragged down and restrained, and carried off without a trace. They'd be kept alive at least; Bey had said he needed them. He'd probably even have Mikey healed. Donnie braced himself as the mob began their rush, hoping it would be over swiftly.

The charge didn't go as planned by either side; The angry Raph who entered the melee made sure of that. Water splashed as he joined the battle with a harsh cry, fists dropping creatures all around. Donnie joined in immediately, hope renewed. He fought to his brother, his staff cracking bones and dropping mutants all around. He was about to reach him when suddenly Raph was torn down below his sights, under the crowd. Spinning, Donnie swept the mob from him, and Raph promptly returned to his feet with a stagger. Both sides retreated, panting. With a sidelong glance Donnie caught Raph grimacing in pain, his arm clutching his ribs. With the way things were going, they wouldn't survive another charge. Making up his mind, Donnie spun his staff and took several grim steps forward. " Raph, get Mikey out of here!"

Raph took a step forward, " There ain't no way I'm leaving you. We do this together"

Donnie glanced over his shoulder at his brother with cold eyes, " You don't have a choice, Mikey isn't going to last too much longer, Raph. If you don't go now they'll get us all. I can hold them off. Trust me."

Raph glanced back at Mikey, and Donnie could see that their brother's bloodied condition was enough to make up his mind. Raph hoisted Mikey onto his back and turned to Donnie with a shout," You hang in there Donnie, Leo is coming." words spoken, Raph retreated from the rooftop and into the veil of rain.

The group came at him in a rush and Donnie did everything he could to hold them off. His staff spun and struck until it shattered, and when it did he continued the assault with his fists. He was completely surrounded, and with little energy left he was falling fast. He just hoped Leo wouldn't arrive to find his bloodied corpse left behind. A spinning kick pushed Donnie into the side of the stairwell, his head striking the wall. Shaking the black spots from his vision he returned his focus to the mob in front of him and his eyes went wide. Standing in directly to his front, shadowed by the rain, was the little sheep girl, a grin on her face, a dagger in her hand. With her free hand she pinned his arm to the wall next to his head. All the fight was rushing out of him, there was no energy to struggle and where his might used to be rushed full of fear. This was it. Donnie felt weak, his legs threatening to give out on him. The blade flash as it struck, breaking through skin as Donnie released a pained and fearful scream.

* * *

**End chapter 4**

* * *

_AN: Whew, I'm sick of everybody getting hurt. Those broken ribs are going to be hurting Raph the whole damn story over. I'm about done injuring all the characters; Except for Leo. I need someone on the team to not ache like an old man every time he does something though. Fortunately mutants can heal quickly, so I can hurt them again later on in the fic if I choose. *evil grin*_

_In the next chapter we get some Splinter in on the magic...oh and we get to find out a little bit more about what Donnie was making. YAY! No more suspense! * looks up* oh... We also get some Leo actually being a good leader for a change._

_Anyone have predictions? I wanna hear 'em! Poor Donnie seems to have given up hope. At least Mikey's safe now...right?_


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: This chapter is kind of dark, I wonder if I didn't rate this one mature enough? Did I mention I hate OCs? Odette is no exception. Glad she's out of the way until...next chapter...DAMN IT!_

_Shorter chapter too. Ah well. Plot is about to get busy._

_Again, big warning to everyone out there that this chapter turned out darker than I expected. For those of you brave enough to venture on, I truly hope you find the experience entertaining._

_Edit: isn't allowing me to post the file names I had used in this chapter and censored them out upon me posting, even though I used a fake file extension. Sorry I didn't notice sooner._

* * *

**Triangle Part 1- Leadership**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Leo splashed down onto the next rooftop with a roll. His eyes scanned around for the blood trail he had been following, however the rain had washed it away and the further he went, the less of a trace there was. Water splashed as he kicked a puddle in frustration. Some leader, he spent most of the battle laying stunned in the construction site and then he lost his entire team on the rooftops. He stood up taller and scanned about what he could see, hoping for some trace of anyone. The heavy rain limited his view too much, leaving him with no leads as to where to go. Choosing randomly, he leapt to the next rooftop, wishing for some sort of clue as to where his brothers had ended up.

Leo was preparing to leap to the next building when a scream pierced through the falling rain. " Donnie?" Leo's head shot up, turning sharply towards the sound, raising his voice for another call of his brother's name. Another wail pierced the night, the suffering woven through the cry was very clear. Leo took a step towards the sound, suddenly afraid. " Donnie?" He whispered as his mind began devising all the possible scenarios leading up to such a scream. Whatever the situation, his brother wasn't going to make it out alone, " Donnie!" Leo shouted once more, spurring himself into a dash.

* * *

Donnie struggled to remain conscious and on his feet. His stomach lurched as he tried not to think about what was happening. He pushed his shell closer to the wall with a whimper trying to keep himself stable. He had expected to be tied up, maybe beaten into unconsciousness; all of that was easier than what he was being forced to endure. The sadistic little sheep monster stood before him, a third dagger held daintily in her hands.

" Those were for my broken staff." She declared before she raised an eyebrow, " One for each half." She stepped right up to him, and out of reflex he pushed himself tighter to the wall. No way to escape, not even given the dignity of fighting back. She took the flat of the blade and pressed it to his cheek. The wet steel felt cold as ice. As she applied pressure, Donnie turned his head, forced to look beside where his head was pressed to the wall. His arm was held to the wall, pinned by a dagger stabbed through his forearm. Blood oozed from the wound, mixing with rain water as it ran down his arm and dripped from his elbow. He snapped his eyes closed, not wanting to see more as he trembled. The flat of the blade slipped down his cheek, the tip leaving a scratch as it traveled under his jaw and to his other cheek, turning his head to the other direction. He squeezed his eyes tighter, knowing the vision to the other side of him would be the same, his other arm pinned to the wall.

" This is for wasting my time." The blade slid up his cheek and under his mask. " You shouldn't have messed with Odette." With a quick flick she severed the violet cloth, letting it fall to the ground, exposing his face to the rain. She tossed the dagger behind her, letting it clatter to the rooftop to be retrieved by one of the mutants standing away to the side, not wanting to get between her and her bloodlust.

* * *

The little sheep wound back, preparing to strike Donnie when Leo arrived. With no time to waste Leo struck with a kick from above, sending her sliding across the roof. He placed himself between Donnie and the gang of mutants, who seemed unsure of how to deal with the interruption.

Leo turned a glance to his brother, who was weakly calling to him. What he saw was chilling, Donnie trying desperately to stay upright, his arms pinned to the wall by daggers. Leo's attention turned to the mutants and they began a charge. He hopped backwards, slamming himself into his brother, pinning him tighter to the wall. He reached his arms up over his shoulders, gripping the daggers, " Sorry." he muttered, and yanked them both free, trying hard to ignore the cries of pain behind him. After two quick tosses he released the bloody daggers at the foes and then reached around to grip his brothers arms in order to carry him.

The pained cry behind him and the slippery blood caused him to lose his grip on Donnie, dropping him in a heap behind him. Leo didn't get another chance to pick him up as the mob reached them. He drew his blades and with a cry and tried to keep the group from Donnie. The more he fought, the further he was pushed away. As the distance grew, a group of mutants broke away from fighting him, and began gathering Donnie up. Enraged, Leo struck out creating a path towards his brother. As he began to dash through, the little black sheep stepped in front of him. As he wound up for a slash she ducked, using her small size to take advantage of the opening. A strong spinning kick knocked him from his feet and sent him skittering across the rooftop. As his gaze shot back up a hoof met his face, throwing him from the building entirely.

Leo groaned as he pulled himself from the dumpster. " No, damnit!" he pulled himself up and clambered up the building in a rising panic. " Hang in there Donnie, I'm coming, just hang on!"

When he got to the top of the building it was abandoned. Disbelieving, Leo staggered his way to the wall where Donnie had been pinned, his fingers tracing the bloody holes left behind. " Damnit" Leo's fist struck the wall as he sank down to the ground. Raph had been right, he should have never thought any of them could make it on their own. The thought of Raph brought all alertness back to him as he realized he didn't know what had become of his other two brothers. If Raph hadn't found Donnie in time, then it was likely Mikey had been captured as well. Leo rose to his feet. The only way to find out was to return home. He took his first step and the feel of wet cloth beneath his foot caused him to pause and look down. Donnie's mask lay abandoned on the ground, it's violet was darkened by moisture, and stained with blood. Leo crouched down, picking it up in his hand. " Damnit." He cursed, rising to his feet, taking a final look around. After one more glance to the shredded mask in his hand he retreated from the rooftop, intent on returning to the lair.

* * *

Raph grunted as he staggered down the steps of the lair. Forgetting the last step, he collapsed forward onto his stomach, Mikey sliding off of his back beside him. The sound of rushing footsteps caused him to lift his head. Splinter knelt beside him, having a look at his injuries, and casting glances to Mikey, who lay unconscious beside him.

" Raphael, where are your brothers?" Raph averted his eyes at Splinter's question, effectively answering it without speaking. He just didn't know what was going on anymore. His father sighed in an effort to relieve some stress before closely examining Mikey's head wound. " Michelangelo's wound is not deep, but it needs to be stitched. Come with me, I will be needing your help."

* * *

Raph sat on the floor of the dojo next to where they had moved Mikey. Splinter had carefully stitched and bandaged Mikey's wounds before tending to Raph. There was little that could be done about the ribs, but there were several cuts and bruises that needed to be examined, wrapped, and iced as he told Splinter what he could about the events outside. He was feeling restless, but Splinter forbade him from leaving the lair. He only tried to leave once, and the spinning kick to his injured ribs that left him on the floor gasping was enough to convince him he'd be of no help to his brothers out there.

The sound of one of his brothers returning brought Raph out of his half-slumber and onto his feet. He rushed out to find Leo carefully walking down the steps, lost in thought. Upon noticing Raph, he seemed to sag a little with relief, but his eyes flashed alarm. With a growl Raph was in front of him, eyes blazing, " Where is Donnie?"

Leo lifted up his fist and slowly opened it, the purple-ish fabric resting in his palm was wrinkled from being clutched so hard. Raph took hold of the cloth, his brows drawing together, " Raph, I-"

With a furious yell Raph struck his brother across the face, still clutching the fabric in a fist. Leo fell backwards onto the steps and lay there. Raph grabbed him by his arm and hauled him back up, just to strike him down again. Straddling the eldest, he began to alternate punches, " Damnit Leo, this is your fault! You screwed up! Damnit, I told you he needed us! Where were you? Where the hell where you?"

A sharp strike from Splinter knocked Raph off of his brother and onto his back. " Raphael that is enough, let your brother speak!" he barked, turning to Leo whose face was beginning to swell. " Where is Donatello?"

* * *

Leo sat cross-legged at Mikey's side as he explained what all had happened when he had reached Donnie and found him pinned to the wall. Mid-way through, Raph tossed Donnie's mask on his brother's lap and stormed out of the room in a rage. Splinter urged Leo to finish and he began to fiddle with the fabric as he finished telling what had happened to Donnie. Afterwords, Splinter took his leave, wanting to meditate on the news he had just heard. Leo looked down at the mask in his hand, flipping it over as he tried to smooth the wrinkles from it. A discoloration on the fabric caught his eye and he was about to wipe it clear with his thumb when a realization came over him

Leo brought it closer to his face, noticing the black stain on the inside of the mask was writing, slightly smudged from the water. He frowned in concentration. " It's a computer program!" Leo filled with hope as realized what he had found.

He jumped to his feet, dashing to Donnie's room where his computer was sitting on his table. Starting it up, Leo slapped the scrap of fabric down on the table as he waited for it to finish its boot up. The second he was able to he found the icon on the desktop and ran it.

A second after running the program there was a ping from inside Donnie's leather messenger bag against the wall. Leo pulled the bag close and lifted the flap. A blinking light at the top of the bag caught his eye and he pulled out a device about the size of a cell phone attached to a leather wristband. There were a few buttons and Leo timidly pressed the largest. The screen lit up, " Voice authorization required.". Leo stared at the letters for a moment before bringing the device closer to his face, " Ummm."

There was a soft ping as the screen changed, " Leonardo authorized." After a brief loading screen it changed yet again. Leo's eyes widened as color filled the screen. " Donnie." his breath caught, " Why didn't you tell us about this?" He whispered as he began to comprehend what was displayed before him.

* * *

**End chapter 5**

* * *

_AN: Another Donnie related cliffhanger. I am so creative._


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: This chapter is a touch bittersweet, featuring a little childhood flashback of Donnie and Raph right off the bat, as well as enjoying some of Splinter's secret room. I would like to have some more quiet contemplation time in there, so that I can incorporate some back story as to why the turtles fight with the weapons they have._

_I will be taking a few days off from updates so I can contemplate what I want to do with Raph. I've left the plot open enough for him to either grow closer to, or further from Donnie over the next few chapters. If they are close throughout these next chapters its going to affect Leo's combat scenes later, the closer they are the more aggressive Leo will be. On the flipside, them being angry at each other will lead to more tension and suspense for Donnie's combat scenes later. Any input on this would be appreciated._

_I hope you enjoy the sixth chapter and I look forward to your reviews should you choose to leave them._

* * *

**Triangle Part 1- Leadership**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

A clawed hand stroked the decorative rug on the wall, it's owner deep in thought. With a stroke of his beard Splinter took a glance around his personal area, minimally decorated, meant for sleep and meditation. His hand stroked the rug another time as he confirmed there were no eyes watching him from his doorway. The last thing he wanted right now was for one of his sons to grow curious and discover what he was hiding. Pulling the wall hanging aside, Splinter retreated behind to a hallway, which opened up to a secret room. Murky light filtered down from a small, flickering bulb on the ceiling, illuminating the dust as it stirred to his light steps. Numerous items of emotional importance were lined up along the walls. Memories swirled throughout the room with the dust.

On one table lay four sets of small, broken weapons, each with a white cloth tied to the grips. A thick, polished wooden post leaned against the table, names and dates carved to the side. Splinter brushed the grey layer of dust from it, and smiled halfway. He had been using it to record his son's height about twice yearly when they were younger. It was the year Donnie had a growth spurt and surpassed Raph that his hotheaded son had kicked the whole thing down after a heated argument. It was after he had taken Raph aside and lectured him on the dangers of jealousy that Splinter overheard the discussion between him and Donnie.

" Did you get in big trouble?" Donnie asked, eyes wide behind his white mask " I can't believe you actually did that!"

Raph waved his hand, his face clad in an identical white cloth " I can't believe you didn't."

Eyes downcast, Donnie sighed, " I wanted to." He admitted. " I don't like it when he compares us, makes us fight. We're not the same. I know for sure because I used a DNA testing kit I got of the internet to test everybody."

Raph's eye narrowed, " I don't remember you giving me any tests."

" Well duh, I had to do it while you were sleeping because you don't like needles" Donnie said gleefully.

" You did what?!"

* * *

Splinter's mind snapped back to where he was. After hearing the discussion he had realized that even though he understood that their personalities were indeed different, he hadn't given them enough of a chance to properly express themselves. For their next mutation day he presented them with special gifts; their colors and their specialized weapons, instead of taking their height.

The broken weapons that lay on the table caught his eye. Granting them individuality had fueled the rivalry between the brothers, the opposite of what Donnie had predicted. Their skills also developed at a faster pace. They quickly outgrew their replica weapons and as each broke it was replaced with the real thing.

Splinter turned from the table and faced the opposite wall. It was empty, reserved for future memories. The wall was too big to be without one of his sons. His mind made up, he turned from his little memory chamber and pushed the hanging rug to the side. It had just settled behind him when there was an urgent knock.

He slid open the door to find Leo waiting, holding a device in his hand, " I know where they took Donnie."

* * *

Donnie sat quietly on the floor in a bedroom of the residence he was brought to, his back resting against the wall. His hands rested lightly in the bowl made by his crossed legs. He had regained consciousness while they were stitching his arms up as he lay restrained on the kitchen floor. His fingers weren't numb, but he couldn't move them without a flare of pain shooting up his arms. After his wounds were stitched and wrapped, his captors moved him to the bedroom where he sat under light guard.

The next room over, the master bedroom, reverberated with angry shouting, Bey was obviously displeased with his minion's results. Keeping his eyes down, Donnie listened in, hoping for a clue as to where he was.

" My orders were clear." Bey raised his voice towards what seemed like a captain of sorts. " I hand chose you to retrieve the four turtles in fighting condition. Instead you kill one, let two get away and the one you do capture, you cripple beyond my use!" There was a silence, which Donnie presumed was the bat trying to calm himself, " There is only one of them we're able to utilize now, and we've lost the element of surprise. We cannot afford any more mistakes. I want all of your scouts to carry a copy of this letter, be sure it reaches his hands. I'll accept negotiations this time, as long as we can get the one in blue on our side. Do not fail me, or I will see to it that you're left to their mercy, and I doubt they'll have a shred of it after what you've done."

There was the sound of a door opening as the captain exited the room to carry out the mission. The figure paused as she passed his doorway, flipping her curly black hair behind her as she stepped in towards Donnie. His eyes narrowed as the sheep looked down at him. Odette crouched down and waved an envelope in front of him with a catlike grin, " I'm on my way out to grab you a companion. " She sang, " Maybe he can hold the spoon for you while you eat." she teased before turning to the door with a laugh.

" Your plan isn't going to work." Donnie said simply, sitting uselessly against the wall.

Odette turned back to him with a look over her shoulder, " We'll see. After all, we have you...and we don't need you. I can be pretty persuasive with my knives" she winked at him before marching from the room.

Donnie closed his eyes and let his chin sink down to his chest. " Tell me about it." he muttered as he let his mind plunge into thoughts. There had to be some way to escape. His finger twitched. Some way that didn't involve using his arms. His brow knit together in frustration at his state of helplessness. Perhaps his brothers will find him? Leo had been there when Donnie had lost consciousness, perhaps his brother was nearby, similarly plotting a way to get him home. His thoughts spun a little as he dozed off, still exhausted from last night's battle.

* * *

Leo found Raph in the kitchen, his head resting on his arms on the table, both sai laying freshly polished in front of him. Pulling up a chair, Leo sat next to him, his presence acknowledged only by a sideways glance from his brother. He placed the device on the table with a clatter, " I found this in Donnie's room."

Raph picked up the device and turned it in his hand before he began pressing buttons. When prompted to authorize his voice he turned to Leo, " What is this?" The device beeped, " Raphael authorized". After a moment the screen filled with lines. A map displayed city blocks. He was about to write it off as useless when a blue dot flashed in the center of the screen and then faded out. Immediately after a red one lit up. An orange one. Then, off in a distant residential area, a purple one. Raph's eyes narrowed as the sequence repeated itself. " Is this a tracking device?"

Leo nodded slowly. Carefully, Raph set it back on the table, his eyes narrowing " We could have really used that when Mikey ran off." He rose to his feet, pushing the chair back with a foot before making his way out into the sitting area. " You coming?"

Raph had already left and Leo was at the top of the stairs when he looked back. Splinter stood watching from the doorway to the dojo. " I am counting on you to bring them both back safe." He said before he turned and retreated back through the doorway. Leo spun towards where Raph had gone, intent on catching up.

* * *

The pair had only made it about half way to their destination when Leo called them to a halt and the crouched low. A few rooftops away stood one of the mutants, the fox, his eyes searching the night, his multiple tails flicking around. Leo turned to Raph with a nod and they split up.

The capture was flawless, and Raph restrained the squirming creature against his chest, the point of his sai pressing to his throat. Leo pounded a fist to his palm, " Wait, wait! I have a message, a message!" The creature squealed.

Leo paused and his eyes met with Raph's. The fox squirmed again, " In the bag!" Leo reached to the fox's side, lifting an envelope out of the bag. Wasting no time for formality, he ripped the envelope off of the handwritten letter. The leader's eyes scanned the words written, his brows slowly knitting together as he read further. Finished, his eyes returned to the fox. Leo tore the letter to pieces, scattering them to the wind like confetti. " No deal."

Raph clutched the fox harder as it began to squirm more, it's voice rising, "Negotiate! We'll negotiate. What's fair?"

Raph's head shot up, " Negotiate? Leo, what did that letter say?"

Leo ignored his brother's question, " Fine, here is my offer. Return our ally, then you get what you want. It's my only offer."

" Leo, what are you doing? What did the letter say?" Raph's eyes shot down to the fox, " I swear if you are using that freaky hypnosis I'm going to pound you into the ground so hard you-"

" We're exchanging prisoners Raph." Leo stared straight into his brother's eyes. " I am trading myself for Donnie."

With a crash, Raph slammed the fox to the rooftop, " Don't I get any say in all of this? You're just going to listen to the enemy?"

Leo turned away, considering his brother's words. " Donnie is injured, there is no way he can get away on his own. Besides." Leo's eyes glared towards his brother, " It is my fault he was captured in the first place."

* * *

Leo arrived at the point of exchange early, but even so the enemy was already there. Bey stood there, accompanied the sheep girl. Between them stood Donnie. His arms were wrapped in bandages, hiding the wounds he had received the night prior. His eyes were heavy, tired.

No words were exchanged, The sheep led Donnie half way, while Raph walked with Leo. Upon meeting the exchange happened. Leo didn't look back as he returned with the enemy. As soon as he made it to Bey his legs were kicked from under him and he was promptly disarmed and bound to be hauled away like a prisoner.

* * *

When the pair returned to the lair, Splinter was standing waiting, Donnie's tracker held out in his hand. Raph took a step forward, " Hero traded himself for Donnie." he explained with a snarl.

Donnie rushed up to where his tracker was held out and examined it from Splinter's hand. " How did you guys know about the tracker?" His gaze bounced from his father to his brother in confusion, " I didn't tell anyone I had this!"

Raph crossed his arms, " Leo found it." he answered. " It's how we found you... well, were going to find you before someone changed the plans." His fist pounded into the wall.

Splinter's ears perked, " My son, what has you so angry? "

Raph's fist struck the wall again, " Leo traded himself off because I told him what happened was his fault." His hand opened against the stone, " But if I had stayed with Donnie until Leo got there... this wouldn't have happened." He finished, his eyes staring at the far wall.

" Or all of you would have been captured." Splinter finished. He made his way towards Raph, placing a hand on his shoulder. " We have this" he lifted his other hand with the tracker, " So Leo is not lost to us. We can reflect on our mistakes after he is safe." Splinter eyed the device closer, " Mikey's been calling this a 'T-P-S'." he mentioned offhandedly.

Raph's gaze rose, " Mikey's awake?" After a confirming nod from Splinter a small bark of a laugh escaped the turtle, washing away some of his tension, " He really does have rocks for brains. We'd better not keep him waiting."

* * *

**End chapter 6**

* * *

_AN: YAY! Mikey's awake again...But poor Raph is having some internal conflicts. Perhaps Mikey can cheer him up. Donnie has a bit of explaining to do as well._


	7. Chapter 7

_AN: Ung, sorry it took so long for such a short chapter. I changed my mind and decided I did want April in the fic, so I had to go back and rewrite a chunk of my plot, which pretty much swapped Donnie and Mikey's roles in the story. The next chapter is outlined and may even be posted within the day. Yay! Even better, Mikey gets some action pretty quick, and we get an explanation on exactly what they're going to do with Leo. Mwahahahahahaha._

_For those of you who haven't seen yet, I did post a one shot fanfic called "Strawberries", which stars Raph and April. I have another one shot in the works featuring Donnie and Dogpound. Should be up within the week._

* * *

**Triangle Part 1- Leadership**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

The entry to the residential area they had taken him to was covered in blood, and Leo was reasonable sure most of it was Donnie's. The house was fair-sized, and looked like it had belonged to a family at some point. Leo idly wondered what had happened to them. Bey and several of his minions led him to the end of the main hallway, giving him little time to look around. They came to a halt in the master bedroom. With a smirk, Bey placed his hand on a family photo on the wall, depicting parents and two children, and pressed it in. There was a grating noise as a little passageway opened up from where the dresser was. Leo's eyes narrowed as they began to usher him into the opening and onto a steep staircase. Bey led the way down the winding stairway, some cut right into stone, some constructed from boards. The air cooled as they entered a large cavern at the bottom, dug deep below the earth and lit by a complex wiring system. Leo's eyes were drawn to the far end, where what appeared to be a train was awaiting them. How long had these mutants been underground digging the tunnels?

When they entered a cargo car, Bey instructed Leo to get some rest before leaving him under heavy guard. Leo allowed himself to sink down along the wall, still bound by the wrists. An uneasy sense filled him as he felt the train beginning to move with a rumble, taking him away. With a sigh he allowed his mind to busy itself with thoughts of his argument with Raph prior to the exchange for Donnie.

* * *

" Donnie is injured, there is no way he can get away on his own. Besides, it is my fault he was captured in the first place."

" So what Leo? You saw what they did to him didn't you?" Raph's eyes were fierce, " You wanna end up like Donnie just so you can play hero? Well screw that Leo. Screw that and screw you." With a fist he clubbed the fox clutched in his grip unconscious and left him where he lay. Raph approached Leo meaningfully, jabbing a finger to his brother's chest. " We're going to bust in there and get him back. Our way, not theirs."

Leo took a step back and pushed his brother's hand away, " Think about it Raph! Donnie is injured, he might not even be able to move right now. Neither one of us is strong enough to fend off a whole army while carrying Donnie back to the lair." Leo shuffled his feet, breaking eye contact " If we fail, and they capture Donnie again, there won't be another chance."

Raph snorted, " And who says they aren't going to kill you as soon as they have you?"

With a deep sigh, Leo finally got to the heart of the matter, " It's easier to gamble with myself than with Donnie." he closed his eyes. " Or you."

Turning away, Raph looked out over the rooftops. " For you maybe." He muttered, taking a deep breath and wincing at his broken ribs. There was no way he could rescue Donnie on his own, not in this state. His insides tightened. " I'm not about to let you throw yourself under the bus. For the same reasons."

Leo stood beside his brother, looking out into nothing, " I'm going."

* * *

Raph started awake. The grogginess he felt was evidence enough that he hadn't slept for very long, but a sense of urgency caused him to slip from his room and into the dojo, where he had left Donnie and Mikey to sleep on the floor.

Mikey had been excited to see them when Raph and Donnie returned, flashing a huge grin as they had entered the room to find him laying on his stomach over a pile of pillows. Despite his enthusiasm, it was evident to Raph that Mikey was in pain. Donnie spoke very little as well, making it clear he was troubled, and tired. After a short time, Donnie toppled to his side and fell into a restless sleep on the floor. Mikey nodded off in agreement, leaving Raph to get up and go to his own bed.

Upon entering the dojo, Raph observed Mikey sleeping peacefully, but immediately noticed Donnie's absence from where he had fallen asleep. The sound of glass shattering caused Raph to come alert. Turning quickly he dashed in the direction he thought he heard the sound coming from; Donnie's workshop.

Upon crashing into the room, Raph's gaze shot to the edge of the room, where Donnie sat at his work table. On the floor beside him was a shattered vase, water and flowers fallen in an unceremonious arrangement. Upon hearing him enter, Donnie's head shot up to look at him, his unmasked face showing surprise.

" Oh hey Raph. Did I wake you up?" His voice was too soft. Raph could swear he saw moisture on his brother's cheeks, but he wasn't quite sure. Purple cloth sat draped around his neck.

" I couldn't sleep, I thought I'd just check up on the two of you." Raph admitted, gathering the violet mask off of Donnie's shoulders and tying it around his brother's face with a crude knot. Sad hazel eyes peeked through the eye holes.

" Thanks Raph." Donnie lifted one bandaged arm from its resting spot on the table, " I couldn't do it myself."

" If it hurts that much then isn't much you can do." Raph muttered awkwardly.

With a small smile, Donnie began unwrapping the bandage from his right arm. Below the bandage were the stitches. The wound wasn't very big, and was only held closed by a few on each side. Overall the wound didn't look too severe. Lightly with his fingertips, Donnie stroked the back of his right hand. His eyes narrowed, troubled. " Raph, can you get me some fresh bandages?"

* * *

After Raph left, Donnie began removing the bandages from his left arm with his teeth, unable to grip them with his right hand. The growing numbness in his hand was troubling him. There was no sensation in the back of his hand, and he couldn't move his fingers very well either. The bandages slipped from the table and on to the floor, where he had knocked over the flowers April had brought him. He had been planning on showing her how to color them with food dye, but now...

He shook his head, trying to focus through his hazy thoughts. He really needed sleep, but nightmares kept jolting him awake. There was the sense of urgency too, somewhere he felt he needed to be. He was vaguely aware that his head had sunk down to his work table, and soon his vision blurred into a dark sleep.

* * *

Leo's eyes blinked as the cargo door slid open, squinting at the sudden light. No time was wasted as Bey returned to lead him across a platform and down a corridor. Upon exiting the corridor Leo froze.

The room they had entered was like none he had ever seen. Stone pillars held up balconies to several floors above. A massive skylight high above lit the cavernous room, as well as a network of fluorescent lighting. There was a massive carpeted stairway towards the back, along with several majestic doors. There was a bustle of activity, all mutants, passively engaged in their daily activities. The whole place had the feeling of a palace. Even Leo was impressed with the architecture; Donnie would have loved to see this.

Out of his peripheral vision Leo caught the bat smirking at his wide-eyed look and he withdrew his thoughts about Donnie. There were more important matters at hand. He was led up the large carpeted stairway to the third floor before her was escorted down what looked to be a guest wing. There were massive wall hangings on one side, and colorful, torch-lit doors to the other. They stopped at an ornate blue door, near the end of the hallway. Bey extracted an old-looking key and unlocked the door, pushing it open. Inside, there was a large sitting room, a fire already lit in the massive fireplace. A large oak bookshelf rested along the wall, as well as two large couches in the center of the room. A table to one side held a bowl filled with fresh fruit. A door in the back implied a bedroom.

Bey went straight to the writing desk where he pulled a small knife from the drawer. Leo tensed. With a chuckle, Bey took hold of his blindfold and pulled it down, exposing beady brown eyes which shone with mischief.

" I'm no good with knots." He explained as Leo backed away from the blade, glaring. " I just want to untie you."

" That won't be necessary." Leo lifted his hand up and pulled his palms apart, exposing the untied ends of the rope before letting it fall away to the ground.

As Bey frowned at the turtle's smug look before reaching to the writing desk again, retrieving a pair of what looked like mechanical bracelets. " Put these on."

Leo took hold of one of them. It looked to be steel. The insides were fitted with leather, except for the bottom, where it locked closed. There looked to be a little speaker on the top part.

" They're for communication. While you are here, you are an honored guest. These are so we can find you, and summon you if need be." The bat raised an eyebrow, " It also keeps you from entering restricted areas."

Leo looked up, " What?"

Bey shrugged, " The person I brought you here to see hasn't arrived yet." He explained. " So we are staying a few days. This is your room until we're done here."

" I'm not wearing these." Leo placed the one he held back on the writing desk, expecting a fight.

Bey just shrugged. " Fine by me. Just don't leave the room without them." He turned to the doorway and was halfway out before he looked over his shoulder. " Odette will be outside if you need anything."

* * *

**End chapter 6**

* * *

_AN: I want my own underground palace filled with mutants..._


	8. Chapter 8

_AN: Pthhhhhhhhhhhhhthththththth_

_Hard chapter to write. Considering my hard-drive failed and destroyed it the first time, as well as my entire story plot sheet. To motivate myself to write I changed the plot a bit, which effectively removed April AND Splinter from the chapter. Ouch. Aaaaaand part 1 of the story is now complete as we dive headfirst into the main plot. W00t. This means the turtles can all be reunited and all fun can happen. Due to the plot changes, part one of the story will be renamed at some point, as well as the story summery being re-done, as Leo's "trust shattering" moment has been pushed back so darn far it's not really what the story ends up being about anymore. Fail. I miss my plot sheet, I should have uploaded it somewhere, I'm all disorganized now..._

* * *

**Triangle part 1**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

When his eyes blinked open, Donnie felt as though he were coming out of hibernation His head felt cloudy, a ghost of a headache was settling behind his eyes. There was an awkward mix of hunger and nausea in the pit of his stomach, and his mouth felt so dry it could be leather. The dim light felt too bright for him so he squinted as he tried to pull himself from the sleep that was already threatening to drag him down into a nightmare again.

He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to focus his mind. Someone was calling his name, he realized and he opened his eyes again, slowly. There was no light this time, and in confusion he turned his head, searching for the source of the voice. He stood alone, nothing but darkness in all directions. His name echoed around him as he spun in circles. It was a brother calling him, but through the haze he couldn't pinpoint which one.

Frantically, he returned the call, "Leo?"

There was no response so he tried again, " Raph? Mikey? Guys? Where are you?" His voice rose to a fearful shout as he circled. " Guys? Don't leave me!" A quiet voice murmured something in response, but it was too small, fading away. " Please...Answer me!" Loneliness overwhelmed him as he sank to his knees in the empty world. _A bad dream,_ he begged to himself,_ just a nightmare. I'll wake up soon, and everyone will be there, safe, and waiting._

No more voices replied to his cries and the blackness drew in tight around him, stripping him of his lucidity and plunging him back into darkness.

* * *

He hadn't been counting the hours, but Leo was sure he had been in the guest quarters for at least a day. He had begun by examining the two rooms, looking for anything he could use to his advantage. The bedroom had nothing but a dresser and a small canopy bed, and despite efforts to find an escape route or a tool to use, Leo had minimal luck in his guest quarters. Taking the small knife from the writing desk he slipped it into he belt, pleased to again be armed in some way again. The rooms were windowless, so there was no daylight to tell time by, and his T-phone was with the rest of his stuff that had been taken away from him. With nothing left to do but count seconds, Leo allowed himself some uneasy rest in the sitting room

Hunger gnawed through him and jolted Leo awake with a low growl in the gut. His eyes roamed to the bowl of fruit on the desk, debating on whether or not he should eat any. He was rather sure it wasn't poisoned, but he didn't like the thought of being at the mercy of his enemy's hospitality. " I'll need my strength." he told himself, his whispered voice filling in some of the emptiness around him as he allowed himself to indulge in an apple from the bowl. The fruit was fresh but he couldn't bring himself to enjoy it; Leo ate every bit of it though, letting the energy flow through him.

His mind clearer, he turned to face the door. He wasn't going to just sit around and wait, he needed to get out of that room. His eyes scanned the bracelet cuffs on the table. He wouldn't wear them, he didn't trust what Bey said they did. He'd have to improvise, leave the room without them.

The door knob turned easily in his hand, unlocked and inviting. Slowly, he peeked outside. A pair of eyes peered back at him through black ringlets. Odette stood causally leaning against the wall, a staff leaning beside her and a handkerchief held daintily in her left hand. She appeared unconcerned, her expression almost bored. " Need something?"

Leo's hand slowly reached for his knife as he began to make a dive at her, silence her before she could sound an alarm. It all happened in an instant. He was already halfway there when her right hand relaxed and a small pouch began it's journey to the ground from it's hiding spot in her sleeve. His hand was on her shoulder, blade ready to strike, when he comprehended what was happening. For a split second, his reflex forced him to begin his retreat but he was already much too late.

The pouch burst on the ground just as Odette brought the handkerchief to her mouth and nose and hit the floor, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Leo didn't have the benefit of foreknowledge and as the pouch's contents filled the hallway with a black smoke, he inhaled sharply, the burning fumes searing into his airway and lungs. Heavy coughing followed, and he doubled over at the burning pain within. His eyes watered and stung as he collapsed, unintentionally inhaling more of the smoke as he gasped for air. As he began to choke up blood, he got one final look at Odette as she lay pressed to the wall, both hands gripping the cloth to her face for dear life, as she too coughed, despite the protection. With another wheeze he spat up more foam, his eyes squeezed shut and pouring tears as he released yet more racking coughs. Finally his mind grew fuzzy and exhaustion took over; A body crushing whiteness claimed his consciousness with a final cough.

* * *

Mikey sat cross-legged in the dojo, loneliness buzzing around like a wayward wasp, and with just as painful of a sting. Well, technically Donnie was there with him, however the sleeping turtle was hardly company at all. Since Raph had dragged him from his lab two days ago, he'd been asleep on the floor, occasionally stirring only to fall back into a dream. These moments worried Mikey the most; he would pin Donnie's shoulders to the ground when he thrashed into a nightmare, after having been awake moments before. Mikey's own head throbbed beneath the bandages, the wound on his temple reminding him of why Donnie had been injured in the first place. The team fell because Mikey was the weak link, held them back, got in the way.

Mikey sprawled on his stomach next to Donnie with a sigh, " This bites." He complained to deaf ears, " I wish Leo were here, he'd know what to do." Actually, he wished anyone were there. Not long after Donnie had passed out and Mikey had awakened to the ruckus, Master Splinter departed from the lair with Raph, leaving Mikey to take care of everything. He had carefully wrapped Donnie's arms, and tucked him in with a stuffed toy, but past that there was little he could do.

Donnie shifted, causing Mikey to perk at attention. A choked sound came from the sleeping turtle as he tossed to the side in another nightmare, curling into a fetal position as his body tried to protect itself from his mind. He muttered a few garbled words, which Mikey couldn't understand. Donnie compressed himself into a tighter ball, " Mikey."

The smallest started at the sound of his name and got up on his knees, " Right here bro." He placed a hand on Donnie's shoulder and tried to get his attention. " Donnie? Come on Dude, wake up!"

After another shudder, Donnie's eyes snapped open and focused directly on his brother briefly before rolling back and slipping off again into a calm silence. Mikey's grip on his shoulder tightened, " Donnie?" He muttered hopefully, his voice a small whine. " Come on man, don't leave me!"

He knew he shouldn't, but before he could stop himself Mikey gripped both of Donnie's shoulders and yanked him up into a tight embrace. Donnie's head hung against his cheek, causing his wounded temple to flare up, but Mikey ignored it, " I'm scared too, but we can't just lie down and die okay? Leo's counting on us to save him." He squeezed tighter, " So you gotta get up. Me and Raph can't do it by ourselves."

Mikey felt a flutter of movement against his cheek as Donnie's eyes opened, " Five more minutes." He muttered.

* * *

At first, Leo thought his eyelids were glued shut. It took a few minutes, but he was able peel off the crusty layer that held his eyes closed. It hurt to breathe. As he blinked to adjust to the light, he tried to figure out where he was, and what had happened. Something tickled his face, he realized and he reached up timidly to touch it. Wrapped around his nose and mouth was an oxygen mask, hooked up to a tank at his bedside. After taking notice of the tank his eyes roamed the room. It seemed he was in the guest room again. Although his chest ached, he didn't feel any further injuries. Swinging his legs off of the bed, he sat upright. Leo brought his hand up to hold the mask while his other removed the band. Bringing the mask from his face, a metallic glimmer from Leo's wrist caused him to pause. On both his arms were the wrist bands, locked firmly in place. With a frustrated grunt he let the mask fall to the floor as he rose to his feet.

Upon entering the sitting room, the large jug of water on the writing desk caught Leo's attention. Helping himself to glass, Leo could immediately feel the burning and dryness in his chest fading. The bitter aftertaste gave Leo the impression what he had just gulped down wasn't entirely water however. After taking a moment to confirm he wasn't being poisoned, Leo turned to the doorway. The last time he had peeked through hadn't gone so well. His eyes roamed to the wrist bands; He'd have an easier time now.

The hallway was empty, and the odor of something charred still hung in the air. Whatever mess there had been was already cleaned up. Leo started by going towards the corridor where the train was. He wasn't expecting to just walk out, but he did need to test the limits of his freedom. Nearing the corridor, a small vibration rang through his wrist bands. He ignored it and kept going. Sure enough, upon entering the corridor an unpleasant jolt shot through the bands, causing him to start. Recovering, he took another step, and was rewarded with another zap, longer, more powerful, running up his arms and stinging his shoulder blades. Leo backed off, knowing it'd only get worse if he continued. His eyes roamed to the stairs behind him. Perhaps going up would have better results.

As he climbed the stairs to higher floors, the technology of the palace became more unsettling. The lights gave off a faint blue glow, and there was a more mechanical structure to the walls. Upon reaching the top floors, Leo's mouth dropped open when he got a better look at the massive skylight above. Light rippled through water, and understanding washed though him. They were under the ocean.

" Enjoying the view?" Leo turned, finding Bey beside him. " A rather ingenious way to hide such a spacious structure, underwater. Some sort of jamming device stops ships from finding us, but I don't know how that works." The bat chuckled. " Though they were clumsy the Kraang could be thorough if they tried."

" The Kraang...built this?" Leo's eyes narrowed. _Interesting._

Bey's surprise at his response put Leo on guard. " Yes. About twenty-five years ago." When Leo didn't respond, he continued, " After the accident, the Kraang vanished. We assume since the portal to their world was deactivated that they returned home. Their research was close to done when the explosion happened, so it would only make sense that they abandoned their work after it was destroyed."

This was a lot of information, " What caused the explosion?"

Again, Bey gave him a look like he didn't believe Leo didn't know the answers already. " It happened nineteen years ago, the pressure in the chamber rose too high during the Triangle process. The pipes burst and filled the whole base with gas." Bey's ears twitched, " That's how most of us came to be mutated as we are, although some were from animals from beforehand. I worked in the Special Science division. I assume that, from your age and your mutation, you and your friends were care-takers in the reptile facility, am I right?"

The warning bells ringing in Leo's head were deafening yet completely unnecessary. " What are you talking about?"

An unsure look crossed the bat's face, " You don't remember anything? Where you came from?"

" My brothers and I came from turtles by a chance meeting with the Kraang close to sixteen years ago." Leo's fists clenched " We have nothing to do with what you say happened here, we weren't even born when that happened."

He didn't know why he was even bothering to speak with his captor, why he was bothered by all of this. Bey wasn't at ease either, if anything he seemed more disturbed. " The Kraang vanished from this world nineteen years ago. What you're saying is nonsense." The bat's wings ruffled as he was about to storm off, but he stopped suddenly, a thought catching up with him " Wait, they're your brothers? You share the same parents, or is it because your mutations are from the same source? There's four of you, right?"

Leo wasn't given the chance to speak as the bat covered his face with both hands and growled a curse into his palms before turning away and storming down a corridor. Surprised at the sudden change of behavior, Leo followed at a distance. As they got further from the skylight, the hallways became less friendly, more mechanical, until they were on a walkway above various glowing machines. Catching sight of a network of pipes above, Leo leapt from the walkway, climbing his way up so he could follow more closely undetected.

At the end of the walkway was a massive set of double doors. Leo crouched low, his feet separated on two different pipes as he watched. Bey's ear twitched in his direction and a brief jolt of stress shot through Leo as his presence was acknowledged.

" You can join me if you want. You've been summoned anyways." The bat shouted up.

When Leo didn't move, the bat pressed a button on a device he produced from his side pouch. The sound of static began to emanate from Leo's wristbands as he watched Bey enter the room. After the door shut, a small voice echoed through the bands and Leo lifted one to his ear to hear better.

" You lied to me." Bey's voice was small. " You told me those turtles were keeping stolen documents. Four of my team died from their injuries. My brother is still recovering from the cut in his chest. Odette poisoned herself to prevent the prisoner from escaping. Now I want to know what I'm putting my team's lives on the line for." Bey's voice was growing angry. " It isn't research documents is it? You want their DNA."

The deep voice that replied was unfamiliar to Leo, but carried the ring of authority. " Yes. We're continuing with the Triangle research."

" For what purpose? The Kraang are gone, there is no reason to-" Bey paused and after a minute Leo began to think the communicator had been shut off. " They're here, aren't they? They've been active this whole time." It came out like an accusation.

" I expect you to make full use of your turtle's abilities. The medical room is prepared for the implant procedure for you already. You already know what is expected of you." The deeper voice was dismissive. " The status of the Kraang are none of your concern. Putting your new pet on a leash should be your priority. Get him under control, you'll need him to get the other three."

" By your command." Bey's voice was aged.

" One more thing. The turtle is on the communicator as I requested? He should be aware that he should position himself on more stable ground."

_What?_ There was a vibration in his wrists as his bands activated. After a warning jolt Leo jumped from the pipes to the walkway and began his dash to the exit. He didn't make it very far when the electricity shot through him and knocked him from his feet, leaving him stunned on the ground to be retrieved by Bey upon his exit.

* * *

When Raph returned to the lair alone, it was Mikey who was asleep on the floor. Donnie rested with his back to the wall, gazing off into nothing. Raph plopped down next to him, " About time you got up."

Donnie shrugged apologetically, his eyes downcast " Blood loss kind of does that. Where have you been?"

Raph turned to face ahead, " Nowhere." he said quickly before reaching to his belt and producing the TPS. " Leo isn't on the tracker anymore."

Donnie took a minute to examine the device from his brother's hand. " He's out of range. There is a better program on my computer, it uses signals that cover most of the city. Where is Master Splinter?"

" I dunno, why don't you put a tracker on him?"

Donnie's gaze shot up in surprise, " Raph?"

Raph shook his head, " It's nothing. Sorry. Look, we need you to find Leo. Master Splinter believes that whoever has him might use him to get to us. If we don't get him back, we're all going to be in big trouble. Not just us either, the people who know us."

" I can't" Donnie looked down, closing his eyes.

" What do you mean you can't?" Raph stood up, looking down at his brother with surprise.

" I can't" Donnie repeated himself, opening his eyes to look at his arms, " I can't fight anymore Raph. I can't even move my fingers. I can't even... " He looked away.

" Leo didn't think so." Donnie's shocked eyes shot back up to Raph, who was again holding out the TPS as he spoke stiff words, " He knew that you could use this to find him. You're the only one who can make it work. Leo's counting on you and so are we. Don't make me regret letting him go."

Donnie gave Raph a sideways glance, and sat silent for a minute. Finally, he pushed himself to his feet. " I'll need your help. Hopefully Leo's still in the city."

* * *

Leo struggled against the leather bindings holding him down to the slanted chair in a futile attempt to escape. He couldn't even turn his head in the brace they had put him in, and the feeling of utter helplessness was threatening to consume him with fear. The scientists in the room had already begun their work on him while he shouted. He had managed to bite one of them that got too close, but aside from that he was having minimal success in his struggles. Another needle jabbed into his arm and he grunted. A machine beside him monitored his vital signs with little beeps now and then. Bey stood off to the edge of the room, watching the humans clad in white coats work.

" Compatible!" One of the scientists at a work station called out. There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief, even from Bey.

Leo held his breath as they placed the mask over his mouth and nose. It was futile, he'd have to breathe sometime, but then again he could hold his breath for a long time. Perhaps long enough to trick them into thinking their gas wasn't working. Perhaps long enough for someone to save him. He squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating on holding his breath.

An impact to his chest caused him to lose his grip on his air supply and by reflex he inhaled deeply, A fuzzy feeling started crawling through his body and his vision blurred as he tried to focus on an impatient bat above him. Finally, his restraint on his fear broke, but by the time it had any chance to wash through him, he was unable to react, only able to drift off as they began the procedure, and wonder if he'd still be himself when he awoke.

* * *

**End chapter 8**

**End Part 1**

* * *

_AN: And the stage is set. I will be doing a few edits here and there on part 1 as I begin working on the next part. Nothing plot changing, just some cleanup._


	9. Part 2 Prelude

**AN**_:_ A little prelude to part two. Just a few thought quote thingies with some s-p-o-i-l-e-r-s between the lines. I wonder if this was even worth posting. Meh, I can regret it later when I'm sober :P

* * *

**Raphael**

* * *

_"I cannot rest, if I stop moving I feel like I'm letting everyone down."_

_"There's no way he's given up. Donnie is still fighting, I saw it. There's no way I'm leaving him behind."_

_"He doesn't remember, that's why he is so confident. I couldn't even tell Mikey how he got hurt in the first place."_

_"Sit tight, Leo, we're on our way! I always keep my promises."_

_" I need to get out of here. There is somewhere I need to be."_

* * *

**Donatello**

* * *

_"I'm terrified, because I can't stop thinking. Perhaps, it would have been better if I had left him behind and saved myself."_

_"Raph is keeping secrets from me. I know I should trust him, he's doing everything he can for Leo. Has he forgotten about us though?"_

_"He made me hot chocolate. I have never tried harder in my life to do something so simple. I couldn't say no to Mikey, not when he's trying so __hard to cheer everyone up."_

_"I'm dreading what I'm about to discover. Once I hit this button everything will change, I can sense it. When we see where Leo is, it'll change everything."_

_"This restlessness I feel is so distracting. I feel like I'm late for something."_

* * *

**Michelangelo**

* * *

_"I'm so bummed out. I can't even turn my head without everything getting all spinny."_

_"When I'm sad I like hot chocolate, I should make some for Donnie too and then we can both chillax a little."_

_"I know Raph wants to say something to me, but I don't like seeing him all afraid so I pretend to have a nap so he doesn't have to be so scared."_

_"I didn't tell anyone, but I'm sure I saw Leo in the dojo, saying goodbye. It wasn't a dream, was it?"_

_" It feels like I am missing my own party. I don't even know where I have to go._"

* * *

**Leonardo**

* * *

_"..."_

_"It's time to go."_


	10. Chapter 9

_AN: Part two begins with a "just over 2 weeks" time skip. In my notes it's been 17 days, so just over half a month. This chapter was frustrating, I wanted soooo bad to write from Mikey's PoV, but I didn't do it. Please let me know if this chapter is confusing. I utilized the "Raph's knees" headcanon in this one._

_Welp, enjoy!_

* * *

**Triangle part 2**

**Chapter 9**

* * *

The impact on his shell knocked him forward a pace, and in retaliation Raph launched into a spinning kick to counter his foe behind him. His attack didn't connect as anticipated, and he managed to focus his vision long enough to watch the chain wrap around his ankle as he fell into the trap. Off balance, he his feet were pulled out from under him and his body was slammed shell first to the floor. He knew he'd have less than a second to act, and quickly rolled to his stomach and brought his feet under him in a crouch. As he leapt away for the dodge, another loop of chain caught his other foot, causing him to trip up for a second time, slamming back down face-first with a grunt. The sound of metal whirling above him caused him to lift himself up on his arms for a look. A very smug face was gazing down at him.

" Looks like this time I win!" Mikey proudly swung the scythe around on its chain once more, switching it between hands. " Looks like you're just too slow for the - woah!"

With Mikey distracted by his speech, Raph used the opportunity to swing his legs out, simultaneously freeing himself from the entanglement and manipulating the chain into his grip. He skipped to the side and swung the chain over top of his brother. With a sharp yank he attempted to cause the smaller turtle to trip. With a backflip and a smirk, Mikey easily dodged the chain like it were a jump rope, reaching down to get a better grip on the chain mid-flip. With Raph holding the other end of the chain, Mikey wasted no more time in rushing in for the attack, scythe held to the side as he closed in.

Dropping the chain in favor of his sai, Raph also dashed towards his brother. Flipping his weapons as he got in close, he hooked them through the links in the chain and, using Mikey's own momentum against him, pulled the smaller turtle up over his shoulder and smashing him to the ground.

With a groan, Mikey rolled to his side, bringing a hand up to his bandaged temple as he winced at the dull pain, " Dude, seriously." Accusing eyes shot upwards at his brother, " You did that on purpose."

" Uh, yeah." Raph rolled his shoulders. " Next time try dodging, shell brain."

"Sorry to interrupt." An irate looking Donnie stood at the edge of the dojo, observing the fight. His right arm bore bandages up to the elbow, and was tied firmly across his body in a sling. His left wrist was still bandaged, but not nearly so heavily. "I've finished updating the tracker. There is something I think you guys should see."

* * *

Three pairs of eyes followed the blinking dots from the tracking program on Donnie's computer screen. "This was just over two weeks ago, after the ambush." Donnie began, speeding up the movement of the dots by pressing a key, three of the dots were at the lair and a violet one off in the distance. Using his left hand to press the buttons, he zoomed in on the lair "Leo returned to the lair and stayed the day, but spent most of it with Mikey, or pacing the dojo. At some point he went to my computer and activated the tracker." Donnie reached up and scratched his cheek stiffly. " I don't know how he found out about it. I never told anyone."

When Raph shrugged that he didn't know either, Donnie continued, "You and Leo left towards the house I was being held captive in" The red and blue dots left the lair for some distance. "You two stopped halfway for some time and then returned to the sewers." he zoomed in and pointed to the two dots as they began to dance around in abandoned subway tunnel in a frenzy. " I assume this is the part where you and Leo decided on whether or not you were doing the exchange?"

Raph looked away awkwardly, " Kind of."

Donnie blinked, "Your fight lasted over twenty minutes, it had to have been a least somewhat important."

Raph crossed his arms, "We ran into an enemy messenger while we were on our way to save you, he had some kind of offer for Leo. I told him he couldn't do the exchange, but he was so hell-bent on switching places. We argued on the rooftop about it and then he set up the exchange anyway. We came below after that."

A dark emotion crossed Donnie, and he stuffed it to the back of his mind, trying to focus "And then?"

With a frustrated sigh, Raph continued, " I told Leo he couldn't go, even if I had to knock his brains out and drag him home. You know what he said?" Raph threw his arms out," That as the leader he didn't need anyone's permission to do anything!"

Donnie leaned forward as realization hit, " You were fighting him for leadership." He concluded.

Raph nodded, " Yeah, and I won too. He just looked at me and smiled. Told me that everyone would be in good hands while he was gone and then ran out to go play hero." he finished bitterly.

Donnie nodded, letting the subject drop, bothered by what he had heard. Raph hadn't wanted to save him if it meant sacrificing Leo. It made sense, but for some reason it still hurt. A pang of guilt stabbed through him and Donnie again shoved his feelings aside, feeling selfish. He returned his gaze to his computer and continued, " Anyways, after we...exchanged, they took Leo back to the house I was being kept at." As he sped things up a bit more on his computer to catch up with the discussion, " Leo somehow travelled from the house very quickly. Judging by how he moves through the buildings, he was either flying, or below ground. He stops right here, out in the ocean. That's where he is right now."

Mikey, who had seemed to have spaced out throughout the conversation and had become mesmerized by the blinking dots suddenly blurted out a question, "Where did Raph go?" His finger pointed to the screen, showing Raph's dot blinking some distance from the lair. "See? Right here."

Donnie zoomed in, backing up the tracker's log a bit and watching as the dot left the lair. "This was when Raph left with Master Splinter, while I was still unconscious. They had a discussion right here and then parted ways." Donnie's eyes blinked thoughtfully. "You still haven't told us where he's gone to."

Raph shifted his footing. Their Sensei's absence made dealing with the loss of Leo that much more difficult. "He didn't say. We had a talk and he just told me he had to go somewhere and he'd be gone a few days."

Mikey tilted his head, " What kind of things did you talk about?"

"None of your business!"Raph turned away and crossed his arms defiantly, not taking any more probing; keeping his secrets.

Donnie tapped at his lip, " I think I know where he went." he said thoughtfully. At the inquisitive glances from his brothers, he expanded upon his thoughts, " A while back I asked Sensei a bit more about the day we were mutated. Whenever he tells us about it he always ends at the part where we become mutants. He never tells us what happened immediately after." Donnie shifted in his chair in thought, " He didn't want to talk about it, but eventually he mentioned that he had tried to flee after his mutation, not wanting to still be there if his attackers came back."

"So he just left us there by ourselves?" Raph interrupted.

Mikey wilted a little, "That's harsh dude."

"He probably didn't know what was going on, it happened so sudden, right?" Donnie shrugged, "That's probably why he doesn't like to talk about it. Anyways, it was still daylight, and he didn't want people to see him so he ducked into the sewer. While he was climbing down," Donnie bit his lip thoughtfully, holding back a small smile, " Four baby mutant turtles tumbled down after him. It was pretty far and they injured themselves. One of them broke both of their knees in the fall."

Raph lowered his gaze. "That was me." he muttered, his fingers subconsciously tracing the top of his extra knee wrappings.

Donnie nodded. " We were confused, and afraid. Leo also broke his arm in the fall. It would have been an understatement to say we were completely helpless. Splinter saw that right away and decided to help us, realising we were in the same situation." Donnie's eyes lost focus as he visualised the situation, " We were injured and could barely move, so he couldn't take us very far. So instead of moving us to a lair," Donnie leaned back in his seat, " He did what rats do. He built a nest."

* * *

" Raph, can you hear me?" The headset buzzed to life as Raph flipped to the next rooftop. Donnie's static distorted voice rang through , but possessed enough clarity to at least be understood.

" Yeah, what's up?" Raph motioned to Mikey before slowing to a stop. While the two of them were topside to begin their rescue mission, Donnie had remained in the lair, being their technical eyes. Raph had the portable tracker on his wrist as well, but it made things simpler when someone was keeping an eye on things and directing them; they didn't know what to expect. Nearly at their destination, Donnie wanted them to go over the plan before entering the house.

"There should be some sort of passageway underground beginning from the house. I suspect it may be in the master bedroom, that's where the higher ups were hanging out." Donnie's voice crackled through. " Avoid confrontation, you'll need your energy to escape once you've found Leo."

Raph grunted into the headset, " Yeah. Fine." He muttered. " I'm going in."

* * *

Inside the house was a bloodied mess, but that isn't what had Raph on high alert. There were no guards. The house was empty, and completely abandoned Entering the master bedroom, they began tearing it apart, looking for clues. The room was empty for the most part, and after a thorough search turned up nothing, Mikey left the room to search the rest of the house, while Raph continued to examine the walls.

Donnie was little help, his tracker couldn't zoom in well enough on the house's structure to determine which room Leo left from. Raph was reduced to feeling the walls for hidden switches and removing pictures from their hangings. After removing a too-heavy family portrait with no luck, he threw it aside and it slid across the floor. In frustration he placed his hands and forehead to the wall where the dresser had been before he had shoved it aside, trying to force himself to think.

He didn't look up at the sound of door hinges squeaking didn't look up at the sound of glass breaking as Mikey's foot came down on top of the too heavy picture frame. He didn't look at the sound of the frame being picked up from the floor.

"There's a button in this picture!"

The sound of Mikey discovering something brought his head up, and at soft sound of a click as his brother pushed the button, Raph tried to push himself from the wall to go have a look. Only, the wall was no longer there. As the surface slid away to the side and Raph fell off-balanced and slid down a steep flight of stairs leading underground. He smacked head first into a wall as the stairs changed direction. Sitting up on the landing with a groan, he turned his gaze back to the top of the stairs, where Mikey stood at the entrance.

" Tell Donnie I found it!" Mikey's gleeful voice echoed down the stairway.

* * *

Someone was following him. The past few minutes he had been aware of it as he made his way through the halls, and had been carefully counting steps, breaths, and heartbeats. His timing needed to be perfect, failure to do so would result in a world of pain before he'd be able to recover. Another breath, another heartbeat. One more step.

Leo was halfway through a stride when the tell-tale misstep of his follower alerted him to their intentions. In a heartbeat he dropped to a low crouch, feeling a breeze as the kick sailed over his head. With a spin, he used his own foot to knock his opponent down before skipping back several paces to distance himself. Instead of countering his attack, like expected, the attacker just lifted themself on to their elbows to glare at him through dark curls.

"What do you want?" Leo paced back over to Odette, who remained on the floor. Over the past two weeks he had been in captivity, the sheep had grown some sort of fondness for messing with him, from petty insults to spontaneous attacks. The worst though, was when she took advantage of his implant device. She had been warned by Bey not to abuse it, right in front of Leo on occasion, but in private nobody could stop her.

"Help me up." she ordered with a smirk. Leo clenched his fists and glared down at her while she waited. Finally, after a long exhale, Leo reached his hand down for her to take. Delicately she placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her up, before she used the grip to ground him for a kick to the stomach. His shell absorbed most of the impact, but he was still thrown back a couple of paces.

As she came in to strike with a fist, Leo ducked underneath and moved himself behind her, where he stole her staff from her back. With all of his strength, Leo threw it down the hallway. Emitting a decidedly girly cry, Odette chased it down, reminding him very much so of a puppy chasing a stick. It was some odd complex of hers he had discovered while they had been sparring over the weeks. She lacked upper body strength, and was really light and easy to throw around, so a staff was really a poor choice of a weapon for her. He only made the mistake of breaking her staff once however, because when she became separated from her weapon she changed her offensive strategy to involve kicking, and unlike her arms, her legs were incredibly powerful. The bruises on his arms from blocking them were a sore reminder of this. Watching her returning with her staff, he wondered what sort of emotional attachment she had to that weapon.

Instead of renewing her attack, Odette stopped in front of him. "Bey told me you're starting your mission tonight, so..." she reached into a pouch on her belt and produced a small bottle of liquid, "I brought you a present, seeing as we're all friends now!"

Leo took the bottle, which looked like an old juice container. He sloshed the dark blue liquid around a bit before returning his gaze to the sheep, "This doesn't look like fruit punch."

"It's an antidote." Odette's voice was humorless as she pulled a long knife from her belt and held it out to show him, "You see," She pointed to the dark spots on the blade, " Sometimes when I'm bored, I like to poison my weapons before I stab turtles with them." though her voice lacked humour, her eyes sparkled with grim amusement. "I lose things easily, so I want you to hang on to that. You can't give it to anybody or let anyone see it. You especially can't give it to your brother."She grinned as her voice turned mocking, "That is an order."

Leo's grip on the bottle tightened as he grit his teeth. "We'll see." he muttered, but he was pretty sure she was right in assuming he'd keep the item a secret; he'd have a pretty difficult time going against such a direct order. His free hand traced across the bandage wrapped around his throat. Still, if she wasn't lying and Donnie had indeed been poisoned...

"Oh don't worry, he should be fine." She reassured, reading the concern on his face,"The poison slowly works through the system and paralyses the victim. It takes several months for it to become lethal...although the victim usually dies from something else before then." She sang, " Well, I am done what I came here to do, so... have fun on your mission!"

Watching her go down the hallway, Leo sighed with relief. That was a fairly tame visit. His eyes returned to the bottle in his hand before he continued through the halls, on his way back to his room. His mood was significantly darker as he entered the sitting room and placed the bottle on the writing desk. Using a marker from the desk, he labelled to bottle as "Donnie's medicine", so in the off-chance one of his brothers picked it off of his corpse they would know what it was.

* * *

**End chapter 9**

* * *

_AN: Blurrrrrg I'd like to expand on the recovery scene after Splinter rescues the baby turtles. I don't know if I should devote a chapter to that, or just make a side-fic for it. It does have some significance to the main plot though, but people who don't find 'Triangle' to their liking might enjoy a one-shot about the turtle's origin as ninjas. When the episodes catch up to this I am going to cry._


	11. Chapter 10

_AN: Hi guys. Fun chapter for you today. Again, I beg of you to inform me if any part of my chapters are confusing, I know what is happening, so it helps when I have fresh eyes read my work. We've got a lot going on for the next little while. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Triangle Part 2**

**Chapter 10**

* * *

There was no working lighting as they descended the steps, and much to Mikey's glee they got to activate the glow sticks. Donnie had made the little glowing tubes quite some time ago, but they never really had a chance to use them seeing as they always used flashlights. Cracking the plastic, Mikey shook the little tube with a dance and light flooded across his smiling face. Shortly after, a second light washed across Raph as he activated his.

It became colder as they descended, and as they stepped into an open room it became evident that the underground hideout was abandoned. The large room ate their light, making it feel as though they were in their own bubble as they explored. Since the room was so large, they split up. As Raph began exploring a stack of crates to the side, Mikey made his way to the far wall of the cave.

He felt nervous, there were little sounds all around and even though he spent his whole life underground, he felt as though the ground would crush him in here. Any sound they made echoed, only adding to the lonely feeling.

Stepping up onto a wooden platform at the very back wall, Mikey's chest tightened as he sighted the railroad ties on the ground beyond, a dark tunnel stretching in either direction. This was the way to go. "Raph, it's over here!"

Mikey jumped down onto the tracks as Raph hurried over, his hand over his headset as he made another report to their brother at home. While Raph jumped down after him, complaining about the headset's poor reception, Mikey began down the dark tunnel. The glow stick only made enough light to show so far ahead of them, and it felt as though they were venturing into eternal darkness. Mikey wondered if they should bring out their flashlights, but Donnie had specifically said to avoid using them, that the battery should be saved for getting Leo home.

"It'll take hours." Raph breathed with an undertone of frustration. He glanced down at the tracker on his wrist, watching the pulsating of his and Mikey's dots. A little arrow indicated Leo off in one direction, out of range from the tracker's map. The update Donnie had applied was useful, they could see if Leo was still alive this way.

With nothing else left to do, they began their long trek through the tunnel.

* * *

What Bey was witnessing in the small training room was extraordinary to say the least. Leonardo sat on his knees on the floor in deep meditation, his senses so high on alert he'd be able to pinpoint and probably kill a fly in the room without opening his eyes. Yet the turtle was completely unaware of the mutant lion perched across from him. They had performed this training exercise daily upon Leonardo's recovery, and yet he failed every time. Bey paced the room, making note that their captive couldn't sense him either. He suspected there could be an entire sports game going on in the room and the turtle wouldn't know any different.

Leonardo's resistance to psychic tampering was evidently non-existant. This would complicate things a little on their mission, but overall it was a good thing.

He motioned to Neil, the lion. This exercise was over before it began. With a nod, Neil dropped the barrier, a psychic wave that distorted one's ability to sense life. Immediately Leonardo's eyes snapped open, focusing on the two that would have just suddenly appeared to him.

"You're hopeless, Leonardo." Bey's blindfold was down over his eyes; his ears swivelling as they took in the tiny sounds about him. "I give up, you can't be taught. My brother and I have trained idiots who learn faster than you."

Leonardo simply got to his feet and walked over to the door, turning the knob and letting himself out. It had been an annoying habit of his, exerting his independence at any chance he got to make a point. He wasn't there by his will, but if he could express freedom at any given chance, he would. Leonardo didn't really care if he failed their training; he tried his best because he had to, but overall if he let them down that was a good thing in his mind. A small victory for him. Him walking out was just another expression of rebellion, he only stuck around for what was required, anything past that was beyond his interest.

Although the turtle might believe it to be a victory, Bey saw it as the first signs of breaking. The process would speed up once his pet was back with his family, and the effects of the implant were made fully aware to him. Reminding himself of this, Bey followed through the door, listening to Leonardo departing down the hallway, "Your train leaves in two hours, don't make me go looking for you!"

* * *

Leo kept his head held high as he moved through the corridors. His room was on the other side of the base, and it took some time to get there. The small training room they were using was in the lower levels, and it took several flights of stairs up to get to where he was going. Upon entering the door to his sitting area, Leo allowed his posture to rest. This place, even though it was part of his prison, was his only safe haven right now. Going to the back bedroom, he threw himself facedown on the bed. He was exhausted; they were running him on little sleep. He knew he shouldn't, that it would only make him feel worse, but Leo couldn't help but let his mind drift off as he attempted to get some rest.

As his mind began to fuzz with impending sleep, the ringing began deep in his head. Abruptly he jolted awake and sat up, already well aware of what would happen if he delayed. Even though he was upright almost instantly, the ringing intensified, a sharp screeching sound coming from behind his jaw. He cringed at the pain it brought, even though it was only for a second before it faded away. His heart was pounding and he felt tense. With a groan he buried his face into his hands as he caught his breath.

Bey called that the siren, part of the device they had installed on the back of his neck. Two small wires fed from the main device in the back and were inserted just below the skin of his jaw. They created an uncomfotable vibration in his eardrums, causing him to hear an unpleasent ringing. It was mostly used as a dog whistle to get his attention, but it was also triggered by sleep unless it was deactivated first. The first time he fell asleep with it, he tore one of the wires partway out in his agitation, and they needed to operate again to re-insert it. Since then he wore bandages over the device, not wanting a repeat of that incident.

Pulling himself together, Leo rose and made his way to the sitting room. He didn't have too much longer left to wait, once he was released for his retrieval mission he would be reunited with his brothers, and Donnie could figure something out with the implant. He wouldn't have to put up with the numerous effects of it much longer. Still, that was all assuming he could somehow inform Donnie of the device to begin with. His spirit sank. He'd probably take off his brother's hand if he even got close enough to touch it. That was the problem, he had been ordered to protect the device and keep it secret, at all costs. Which means if Donnie were to find the implant, Leo would have to be deeply asleep, unconscious, or dead.

Donnie had lost the communication signal. With his brothers so deep underground and out of his normal range for communications, this didn't come as a surprise but it did make him nervous. Leaning back in his chair, he simply watched the dots on his computer screen, slowly moving as Mikey and Raph got closer to Leo. There was little he could do to help at this point, and with the exhaustion from the previous weeks of work, as well as the recovery from his injuries he was barely able to keep awake. Leaning forward again to prevent himself from falling asleep, he let himself mentally evaluate his condition.

His left arm was healing nicely, he could move his fingers again. It was the great thing about being a mutant; wounds heal fast. His right arm, however, wasn't doing so well, and Donnie was completely perplexed as to why. Thinking about it, stress flooded into him, burning his chest; so normally he would change his thought process. His mind couldn't handle thoughts about the slow paralysis that was creeping up his arm. It had progressed just past his elbow, hence the wrappings to keep his arm stable against him. The progress was slowing at least, and the initial wound was healing, but at the same time there was a sinister feel to the whole thing. He didn't think he'd be getting his movement back in that limb any time soon.

As he began dozing off, there was a sudden glaring thought. He shouldn't be here. Donnie shot awake, the sudden urgency fading slightly, but not completely. This had been happening a lot lately, a feeling that he should be somewhere else, like someone was waiting for him. Unlike previous times, when he'd wake up and the feeling would go away, this time he still felt the slight pull. Lifting himself up from his chair, he glanced at his computer screen. There was nothing he could do for the others right now. As he walked out into the lair's common room, he went to retrieve his staff by habit. It wasn't there; it had broken in the battle so many weeks back. Donnie hadn't bothered to craft a new one, or even ask someone for help.

Feeling disheartened, he walked away from the weapons rack when something caught his eye. Dangling from the hook on the wall was one of Mikey's kusargima, the chain slashed through, credit to Leo. Normally Mikey would repair the chain, but with the weapon's age he had opted for crafting a brand new one. Donnie lifted the scythe, his eyes watching the foot length of chain dangling below it as he popped the blade out. It was in bad repair, but still functional as a backup weapon. With a sigh, Donnie retracted the blade and slipped the scythe into his belt. He'd probably die if he had to use it, but it was better he left the lair armed in some way.

As he turned to leave the lair, an invigorating sense of purpose filled him, and by the time he reached the turnstiles he was full of energy and cleared them with a roll off his shell, protecting his injured arm. For some reason, it felt good to be moving, to have a purpose. Whatever was calling him, was something he desperately needed.

He didn't know where he was going, Donnie realized as he ran through the sewers. Some deep instinct was directing him; The feeling was warm and inviting, yet urgent. He didn't direct himself; if he felt like going down one tunnel, he went down it. As he turned a corner, a sudden sharp feeling in his chest caused him to stop. After confirming it wasn't a cramp, Donnie looked around, realising that this tunnel was familiar. He slowed his pace as he made his way through. not quite sure how he knew the place, or what made it so different from the other tunnels he had been running down.

It was the set of rungs that triggered it. His finger traced the cold steel steps up to the cover above, the doorway to the surface. He figured he could climb it, but to push the cover aside would be a different matter. As he took another glance up his eyes widened as the floor fell from under his feet.

* * *

As he fell, not only did he hear his own cry, but other familiar ones as well. He abruptly landed shell-first into something firm, but soft enough to break his fall. The winded screech he heard confirmed that he had landed on something living, but it was more unsettling than that. As he rolled to his knees and looked down his eyes widened. Laying there, winded, was Mikey. He wore no mask, no padding; unarmed and decidedly afraid. Beside Mikey lay Leo, also unmasked, curled up into a ball, and clutching his arm as he screamed. It was a high pitched sound, unlike any Donnie had ever heard his brother make before.

_Never? No, there was that time..._

Donnie took a step back in shock and his foot hit something causing him to turn sharply. Raph lay there, unconscious and face down, breathing heavily. Even though he wasn't conscious, his eyebrows were crunched down as he gasped for air.

Mikey struggled weakly to right himself, seemingly stuck on his back. Donnie crouched down to push his brother onto his stomach when a massive shadow caught his eye, causing him to freeze. It was then this absolutely absurd idea crossed his mind. They were going to be eaten. Donnie began to grind his teeth, his tongue feeling a small gap. Why did this all feel so foreign, like he was watching it in a movie? As the shadow neared, Donnie struck with a bite, the only way he could think of to fight an opponent as years of training dissolved away in his mind. As he struck out, the softness and warmth of fur surrounded him, stopping his assault short.

"Don't be frightened, little one."

* * *

Focus returned to Donnie's eyes as he stood in the sewer, his good hand clutching the rung as his mind clutched at the memory that had suddenly been triggered. He stroked over the new information again. They had been children, newly mutated, laying is a cold and gooey puddle. Another, a human with a kind voice, had been with them when the accident happened, but he had already fled by the time Donnie could open his eyes and understand what he saw. One of the others, who had become aware before him, was already making his way towards a goal, following something. They all followed, not wanting to be alone. That was how they fell into the sewer.

Donnie was the only one who was uninjured, but that was only because his fall had been broken by one of his brothers. Leo's arm was fractured in two places, and Raph had cracked both of his knees, as well as receiving a head injury. Mikey suffered a broken collarbone, and a damaged shell, likely from Donnie's hard landing on top of him.

That was when the giant rat showed up, and Donnie lashed out to protect his turtle brothers. He cracked a grin at the memory. That explained why Master Splinter had once told him he was important to the family, because from day one he had been thinking of his brothers. Donnie had never realized how true that had been until now.

Splinter had pulled him into his arms and promised him safety with words he couldn't understand back then. Perhaps it was their Sensei's confident voice; even though he must have been scared, he did what he could to ease their fears first. He had saved them, taken them someone to grow strong again. Somewhere Donnie must go now.

Now knowing where to go without the use of the calling feeling, Donnie continued down the familiar tunnels as new memories gripped him. Raph having to learn how to walk while the rest of them were already running. Leo's first swim. Mikey discovering music from an old mp3 player that Donnie had taken apart. All those missing gaps were in this hallway.

Because it was just around the corner they spent the first year of their lives.

At a dash, Donnie spun the corner and the sight was so familiar to him he almost forgot that it had been close to fifteen years since he had seen this. In the very center of the large room on a mat was Splinter, kneeling in meditation. A doorway to one side led to where Splinter had slept, a doorway to the other side led to the bedroom the four of them had shared. As Donnie entered, approaching his Sensei slowly as all the memories suddenly quieted. This is what he had been called for.

"Kneel, Donatello."

* * *

They had been keeping up a good pace for a long time, so when Mikey stopped abruptly, Raph assumed it was for a rest. As he turned to put his brother back on task he paused upon seeing that his brother's eyes were narrowed with focus."What is it Mikey?"

"Train." Mikey was tense as he as he focused on something unseen down the tunnel back the way they came.

Raphs eyes focused into the darkness, "You serious!?" It was then he noticed what Mikey had, the railway ties were shaking, and the low growl that he had assumed was an underground noise was growing slowly louder. Then the light came around a corner, still some distance away.

"Aw Crud."

They took off at full speed, knowing full well what would happen should the vehicle behind them catch up. He was already tired from their walking down below in the cold, but he was warming up very quickly as he and Mikey darted through the tunnel at a dangerous pace. They couldn't see very well; Their glow sticks didn't light far enough ahead, so each step they took was a risk of tripping.

Mikey was the one to catch his foot on a tie first, recovering quickly with a roll. When he was back on his feet he had his kusarigima in hand, chain twirling.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you could just beat it to death with that." Raph snapped as his brother caught up, running low. The train was getting close, its light washing over them. He wondered if whoever was driving that thing could see them, and would stop. He doubted it.

Suddenly from beside him the chain was released, flying towards the ceiling and wrapping itself around what Raph had been overlooking the whole time. The support beams crossing the roof of the tunnel. Mikey suddenly ran to the side, jumping to run along the wall, his chain supporting him as he ran sideways under the beam. Using the momentum, he brought his legs out and was suddenly swinging towards Raph.

Realizing what Mikey was planning, Raph stopped running and began backing up with a skip, his arm held out. When Mikey met him they grabbed each other's wrists. Raph's weight was enough to ruin the momentum though, and they were swinging straight on into the approaching train.

Mikey leaned back, signalling his intentions as the smaller turtle planted his feet on Raph shell. Raph didn't have time to think, following his brothers lead he allowed Mikey to use his shell to launch a flip around the chain, pushing Raph higher into the air. He used the momentum from Mikey's backflip to launch himself onto the train just as it got to them. He bounced once off his shell before he could flip himself to his stomach and grip the top of the moving train, but not without sliding back several feet, almost off the edge between cars. Opening his eyes fully, he began searching for Mikey. It was difficult rotating himself to look behind, and it was incredibly dark behind the train's light, but relief flooded through him as he sighted his brother's glow light a car back. They had both made it.

Suddenly Raph let loose a grin. They'd be reaching Leo within the next twenty minutes at this rate. He just hoped this train actually stopped where Leo was being held. Pressing a finger to his headset he began his report to Donnie.

But only received static in response.

* * *

**End Chapter 10**

* * *

_AN: *Falls down a flight of stairs and then gets hit by the train*_


End file.
